Raven Rising, Book 3: A Quest for Rebirth
by Outside85
Summary: After the cataclysmic events of Scars, the founders of the Justice League bodies have been separated from their souls, it is now up to Raven, their host to return them to where they belong. How hard can that be? Rated M for comicbook levels of violence.
1. The Search Begins

**Author note: **Welcome back to the recurring you are a new reader of the series; first of all welcome, and do check out Book 1 and 2 of Raven Rising that leads directly into this story.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Teen Titan, Justice League or any of the others

* * *

_Later that night after 'the Lecture', Raven's mind:_

"What are you doing out here?" Diana asks as she exits the council room. While none of the Founders really felt tired, they decided to try sleep anyways and set a guard, something both John and Bruce insisted on since neither trusted Raven to be able to control her dreams when she slept. Bruce took the 3rd watch after Shayera and Wally, and it is now Diana's turn, but she hadn't found him watching over them.

"Observing." Batman says as he stands at the edge of the cliff the council building is housed on while Diana walks up behind him. In front of them stretches first the ghostly city of Azerath, and beyond the city's walls; the vast empty night sky. With all of its inhabitants having gone to rest inside their homes, very little light is provided now, except for seemingly random flashes of yellow that seem to occur randomly around the city. "It's been going on for 10 minutes now, I suspect she is entering what is medically known as the Rapid Eye Movement state of sleep, the dream state."

"Then she is entering the realms of Hypnos and Morpheus." She notes. "Do you think it is wise to spy on her dreams like this?"

"We may not even be able to see what she dreams." Bruce notes dryly.

"You didn't answer the question." Diana counters.

"It's me remember?" Bruce says as he gives her a half amused smile without turning his head. "She keeps many things hidden; this may prove to be useful."

"Like what?" Diana asks a little annoyed that Batman would so casually intrude on something like this.

"Fear's, hopes, ambitions and such." He replies while noting the flashes seem to last longer now. "So did you two enjoy yourselves?" He asks.

"Very, except I was growing paranoid while Richard was following me around." Diana replies calmly, knowing where this will lead.

"I wasn't referring to that." Batman continues.

"A gentleman should not discuss such matters, but if you do, I may have to tie you up next time." She says letting a mischievous smile onto her face, the statement has the man finally turn to face her for a few seconds, just enough for him to gauge if she was joking or not. "But yes, we enjoyed that."

"So you have given up on me?" Bruce finally asks while pulling off his cowl, Diana suppresses her mirth as he looks simply devastated.

"Of course not, that was just a bit of fun." She reassures him. "But you better hurry, I am not getting younger you know?"

"You're not getting any older either." Bruce notes. "So what will you tell the others?"

"Nothing, if they don't ask. And I might add, it is something that only concerns me and Raven." Diana lets an edge crawl into her voice, letting Bruce know he is treading dangerous grounds.

"Fair enough, just don't let it interfere with what you do in the field." Bruce shrugs.

"I think she fought all the harder because of it." Diana replies. "And I am happy she did, I am not sure what would have become of me if she had arrived any later."

"And her actions against Light?" He asks while putting on his mask again.

"It is a credit to her that Hemon could talk her down at all; no other Amazon I know of would have been stopped with words." She replies, knowing that those of her sisters who wouldn't have done it out of personal dedication would have done so in pure outrage and as her mother demonstrate, quite a few of them would have done it with their bare hands.

"You?" Batman continues.

"There would not have been anything left to bury." Diana notes with grim finality, Bruce sighs before she continues. "Bruce, you told me once you know what it's like to be in a situation like she was, but you have never told anyone how you handled it other than no lives were lost." Bruce is quiet for a moment before replying.

"It was the Joker. He had captured Richard while he was out on a solo patrol. I was his real target of course and he made that plainly visible by making a modified bat-signal and tying Richards shirt to it along with a note, that eventually led me to him. It was on the roof of the Gotham Library, along with Richard, he had some 20 thugs or more waiting. He had tied Richard to a chair and repeatedly beat him with a crowbar, I could tell how bad it was from the approach I made, since he had a large projector pointed at him. From the distance, I couldn't see if he was alive or not, but he wasn't moving. When I saw that, and the laughing lunatic dancing around him, something inside of me just snapped. I charged in recklessly and was nearly swamped by the goons, but I couldn't allow myself to stop before I knew if Richard was alive or not. The goons didn't have a chance even if half of them had guns or other weapons. When I got through them, Joker had pulled a gun and was aiming it at Richards head, there was maybe a meter, maybe two between the gun and his head. Joker of course kept taunting me, daring me to stop him before he fired one round into Richards shoulder. I was on him in a second before he could fire again. That one time, I came closer to killing him than ever before, he was beaten, badly, before I dragged him to the edge of the roof before holding him out over the edge. That was when I saw what he had also done, the police had surrounded the building to act as witness'. I was about to drop him before I realized it; he wanted me to kill him, to prove I was no different than him. 'All it takes is one bad day.' That's what he told me before Gordon and a squad of SWAT officers arrived on the roof. I still wanted to end the Joker, once and for all, but Jim called out to me and talked me down from dropping him. I remember half the SWAT team was actually hesitating with aiming at me; they wanted me to drop him…as would all of Gotham if it had been watching. In the end, Jim and a groan from Richard brought me back. It took Richard weeks to recuperate from that night and longer for me, since I refused to let him go alone. That was the reason why we ended up breaking, I was scared of losing him because I wasn't there, and then I lost him because of that." He sighs, remembering wondering if that had really been the plan all along, to break the Dynamic Duo. You could just never tell with the Joker if there even was a plan or even a shred of twisted logic in what he did.

"You two are very similar you know?" Diana notes, meaning Bruce and Richard.

"I am aware of that and that alone is a terrifying thought."

"Only to those who gets caught in your path." Diana continues. "Just don't let your mission blind you to the rest of the world."

"I…Maybe…one day, it's for the rest of the world I am doing this." Batman admits after a moment's thought. "Look." He says as he notices something forming on the night sky.

At first it seems to be only darkness that swallows the stars one by one forming a giant black orb in front of the two souls. A small shift inside of it signals that something is coming. It starts with a small white dot that expands to form a horizontal line before separating in two till they disappear at the top and bottom. Both heroes are reminded of a looking at a large television screen as an image appears. In the darkness a spotlight lights up a circle on the ground in the screen, where Raven is standing in her cloak and leotard, she looks confused.

"Who are you?" A voice asks, causing Raven to turn around, looking around herself to locate the speaker while keeping her guard up. "Or more accurately what are you?" The voice continues as a tall mirror phases into being behind Raven, who looks at it in surprise when she turns around. Both viewers can see the mirror image of her as it suddenly moves on its own. "Are you human?" It asks, revealing it to be the speaker. "Are you demon?" It continues as it changes image into that of Raven's demonic form. "Are you a hero, here to save the world or a monster that needs to be put down?"

"I…"

"Don't worry I am here to tell you, have a seat." The image says as a wooden chair slams into Raven from behind, forcing her to sit before heavy iron restraints close around her arms and legs. "Now then, to the important bit; you are a monster!" The image says as it points an accusing finger at Raven. "Of the very worst kind! A bastard! A tool! A means to an end!" It continues as Raven notices her features begin to run like hot wax. "See, now we see that monster that you really are, no more facades, no more hiding! The world will know what you are!"

"NO!" Raven cries as the flesh falls from her left hand revealing a red-skinned hand with claws lurking beneath the grey flesh, the hand immediately begins wiggling around as if it had a mind of its own.

"Yes, accept it, drown in the knowledge. You are a monster, a demon from the deepest pits of hell." The image continues as Raven melts away leaving more red skin visible. "Humanity has abandoned you; you will never have a place amongst them." It says as the last of Ravens grey skin and purple hair melts away, revealing her full demonic form, the limbs that had all begun moving on their own cease immediately. Leaving Raven to look into the mirror image of herself in the chair.

"No…" She sobs as several images of her being chased by mobs of people, amazons, Titans, Leaguers and civilians alike, flash across the mirror.

"Yes, that is what will happen when you are exposed. But fear not, I will never abandon you." The image returns. "You are a part of me after all, dear daughter." The image smiles as its features changes into that of Trigon. "Time to come home."

"NOOO!" Raven screams as Trigon reaches out of the mirror and drags her and the chair into the mirror.

"Fear not dear daughter, I plan not to leave this world without a memory of you. Observe." He says has he holds the chair in one hand, outside of the mirror a figure takes form out of nothing. It is Raven, or a copy of her human guise that stands motionless before the mirror. "Burn this world, make it suffer!" Trigon commands before he turns away with Raven in his hand.

"Yes." The doppelganger replies in Raven's monotone voice before it fades out of view and the screaming and pleading of many voices begins in the background as the mirror shatters. The black bubble seems to implode rapidly as the place Diana and Bruce are in seems to shift suddenly.

"It was a nightmare, she just woke up." Batman says.

"Welcome to my normal dreams…" Raven's tired voice sounds from above.

_Wayne Manor:_

"Welcome back Master Richard, I take it went well?" Alfred asks as Richard enters the cave by the teleportation tube located on one of the lower floors, where Alfred is dusting off the trophy collection surrounding it.

"It was weird; they all almost automatically elected me as the leader." Richard sighs as he pulls off the cowl. "But yes, it went well. But I suspect our new Lantern is a bit in over his head, since he's fresh out of the academy." It was a concern Bruce had noted the same at the one change in his old plan, which was only changed because he had since had a falling out with the original; Guy Gardner. Mainly because of the man's normal attitude to such things.

"Splendid." Alfred replies with a smile without looking up from his dusting, if he didn't know better Richard would have thought he didn't actually hear him.

"So did Raven head off to sleep yet?" Richard asks, it was only early in the night here.

"A matter of hours ago, but from the sounds, she is not sleeping well."

"She has nightmares quite often; I guess it has something to do with her dual natures and the recent turmoil she has been through." Richard says as he takes off the cape, glad to be rid of the weight, while remembering how he during the late hours in the tower stated to note down Raven's uneasy sleep pattern to be able to predict her good and bad days and to see if it was linked to anything unusual.

"Quite, she has taken the meaning of inner demon to a new level." Alfred agrees. "Master Tim is out on patrol, by the way, he should be back in a few hours." Richard nods.

"Good, I am going to catch a few, there's a few meetings tomorrow in the League I have to attend to and one in Wayne Enterprises to announce Bruce's departure."

"I wish you good night's sleep then Sir."

"You too, when you get to it." Richard replies before heading up for a change of clothes.

Several moments later he finds himself standing outside Raven's room, although he knew she often had nightmares, he also knew that if Alfred had noticed it, it meant it was really bad. But this time he is hesitant about sticking his head inside, as he remembers the last time he did that. Instead he presses his ear to the door in an effort to hear if anything is going on the inside. Hearing nothing he carefully opens the door and peeks inside, spotting Raven sleeping soundly as she faces the door, dressed in what Richard can tell, the long black t-shirt he knew he got her. Like Bruce did, he notes she is sleeping with her bracelets on, unlike Bruce, Richard knows he has to keep his emotions muted, that or having to face a very awkward series of questions. Satisfied she is sleeping, and not wanting to tempt fate more than he is, he silently closes the door and retreats to his own room.

_The following morning, Wayne Manor:_

"So what's it like wearing the cape and cowl?" Raven asks over the breakfast table that seems oddly vacant, even if it is only Bruce that is missing.

"It's too heavy for my liking." Richard replies. "But it's weird having everyone automatically think that I can fill his shoes."

"He does have big feet." Tim notes.

"So what is on your schedule today?" Richard asks Raven.

"I'm meeting with Fate and Jason later for a round of brain storming, after that; I figure we start culling everything we can." Raven replies. "You?"

"I'm going to be stuck in meeting rooms all day long, if not League's, it's the ones in Wayne Enterprises." Richard sighs.

"I don't pity you." Raven replies with a small smirk.

"Gee thanks. By the way, a big guy with a thunderbolt on his chest wants to meet you apparently." Richard adds, getting a raised eyebrow from Raven, but she doesn't need to be told who it is, even if Bruce mentions it. "Something of a request from a wizard he knows."

"Well, I fear I will be stuck with Fate for a period of time, if we get a good lead, I might be moving in with him for a while." Richard nods, having heard how furiously she read when trying to find a cure for Starfire.

"I'll let him know where you are then." He says, before they return to focus on their food, leaving Tim free space to express something on his mind.

"So with Bruce not around, does this mean I can skip school?" He asks Richard.

"No." Bruce grumbles from inside of Raven, almost making the boy jump out of his seat.

"He doesn't stop looking through my eyes." Raven notes to Richard.

"Considering he doesn't need to sleep now, I can't say I am surprised." He replies.

"Why didn't you say he can hear, see and talk last night?!" Tim exclaims.

"Didn't have a reason to." Raven shrugs.

"So I take it you're not planning on bringing Zatanna into any of this?" Richard asks shifting the conversation.

"We would if she bothered returning Fate's calls." Raven groans at the mention. "I fear she may be too busy downing more bottles."

"I never thought she'd pick up a habit like that." Richard sighs.

"It's her choice, unfortunately. Anyways, I have to get going; I have my communicator on me if you need me."

"Happy hunting." Richard waves after her as she enters the Mansion again to pack the few things she will need.

_Meanwhile in Switzerland:_

"Dude, are you sure we are in the right place?" Beastboy asks as the three Titans look around themselves in the empty field in the Swiss Alps.

"Positive, unless Raven got the coordinates wrong." Cyborg says as he notes the coordinates in his GPS system.

"But isn't there supposed to be a two story monastery here?" Beastboy continues.

"I fear you may be standing on it." Starfire says from above. "The grassless patch is almost completely round." Cyborg groans.

"She's right, hold on I'll run a quick scan." Cyborg says before something flashes in his arm a few times.

"What are you doing?" Beastboy asks.

"X-Ray's." Cyborg says as his features gradually harden. "Damn it. We will need help here." He sighs. "Whoever did this, sunk the entire building to cover their tracks, I see monks down there as well. Gar wait!" Cyborg says too late to stop Beastboy from turning into a mole that burrows into the ground.

"But why would Terra do such a thing?" Starfire asks as she lands next to him.

"I just don't know Star, but if she really did this, then she is far worse than Slade." Cyborg sighs as Beastboy emerges from the ground again.

"I found the roof, couldn't get through the tiles." He says with a defeated tone.

"I'll call the authorities." Cyborg says.

_Later that day, Raven's mind:_

"_Raven a word in private?"_ Batman asks from within her as she closes the second book she has read, she guesses he is getting bored of only having words to look at._ "It would help if I could speak the language."_ He notes as she opens her mind's eye appearing next to the Dark Knight, who oddly enough is standing outside Timids labyrinth bordering Happy's realm.

"What?" Raven grumbles, her friends know how much she hates getting interrupted while reading.

"A number of things. First of all, there is the matter of Jarvis Tech that got lost in all of the other events." He says.

"You want to have closer look at those events, to see if I am to blame for his death?" Raven asks, not liking this part.

"I do, but this also comes with an offer." He says.

"Oh?" Raven asks while quirking an eyebrow at him. "What kind of offer?"

"Remember you swore you would try and appease me so that you could operate in Gotham with my approval?" She nods at him. "You have earned that part when we stopped Roman. But I am going to offer you something more. I see you have many talents, but most of them can be refined. As long as I am stuck here and if you live up to expectations, I want you to learn from me when we venture into the field, a helping hand, in some cases, the voice of reason in others. But you have to do what I say, and the margin of error is thin." Raven just stares at him.

"I think I need that, after what happened in Jump City, the voice of reason part that is." She sighs.

"All things considered, we are still amazed that you were held back at all." Batman says. "Etrigan wouldn't, Diana admits that she and the other Amazons wouldn't either and I have been the same situation once." He admits.

"You had to talk someone down?" She asks.

"No…well yes I have been there as well, but I needed once to be talked down myself." Raven stares at him again. "It was before the Titans were formed, Robin had gone out on solo patrol…" He tells the full version he told Diana of the incident that eventually caused the break between him and Richard, adding the part where Raven appeared at the League only a week after the break. "The rest you know, how he and I barely spoke for four years." He finishes.

"You are both proud and stubborn; it shouldn't have surprised you that he would strive to prove that he was still capable of handling himself." Raven adds.

"I knew he could, but as you know, I don't want to take any unnecessary chances." Bruce admits.

"I know, you plan everything, almost. You know the story Richard told us about this?" She asks.

"Humor me."

"He admitted you never said it to his face, but he got the impression that you didn't trust him to operate solo any more, that somehow you blamed him for getting caught in the first place and for putting you in that situation." Batman remains blank for a second as he thinks back of the night Richard came home to the Manor and the night he left.

"He shouted that part at me in the cave before he stormed out and packed everything he wanted to take with him, along with a few other things." Batman sighs. "I had to get a new computer the next day." He continues as he remembers a few other things that was wrecked in the cave, while outside of the cave he didn't let it show the breaking between them had hurt Bruce severely, only thing that came close to it was Barbara's and Jim's shootings.

"Proves you're still human." Raven adds.

"Same to you." He says letting on a crooked smile. "So you and Diana?" He continues as Raven visibly blushes.

"Stupid mirror." She mutters to herself. "It happened, but it's not a relationship. If anything, Diana wanted to prove that I could do it without something bad happening." Bruce smirks at her. "I hope you aren't going to put it in a file somewhere?"

"Like I said, it's between you and her."

"Besides, she is still waiting for you." Batman coughs into his hand at this. "Worst kept secret on the station I take it."

"Yes." He admits. "I just don't want any of my psychos coming after her to get to me, like they did Richard. I also fear she might become a distraction."

"You're probably the most focused, driven man on this planet and she is not the kind that needs constant attention." Raven counters. "Just don't forget she is there."

"That part isn't hard." Bruce replies with a smirk.

"Anyways, duty calls." She says.

"It does." Batman nods at her before she fades from view.

_Later, the Tower of Fate:_

"I fear we may be running short on useful material." Dr. Fate notes at the three remaining books from his library, he knew dealt with resurrection.

"It appears to be so." Jason adds as he looks up from his, seated in the green chair with his feet up on a foot stool, he looks at home in the corner. Currently Raven is sitting floating above the floor with two books floating in front of her, while she is leaning forwards with a hand idly stroking her chin and a focused look on her face.

"Anything useful?" Fate asks her.

"Interesting, yes, but useful? No." She sighs as she skims the last pages. "Unless we want them back as blank puppets or walking skeletons."

"Not quite the resurrection they would hope for." Fate sighs, the three have been pouring over the pile of books for hours on end, with none of them really knowing how late it was or for how long they had been reading.

"Kent?" Inza asks in her quiet voice as she enters the library.

"Yes my dear?" Fate replies while looking up at his wife.

"Perhaps the tomes Zatanna borrowed months ago may prove useful in your search." She continues as the others look up.

"I had forgotten she borrowed a few books from me before we were introduced." Fate says while nodding at Raven. "Perhaps it is time they were retrieved."

"They dealt with this subject as well?" Raven asks in surprise, the books they have been reading have all been detailing extremely dark magic and if Zatanna knew what she was looking for, these would be considered of the lighter in comparison.

"They do. Zatanna may have been looking into an alternative of finding and retrieving her father, who has been lost to her since she was 14." Fate replies.

"_Giovanni Zatara, trained me in as an escape artist and in ventriloquism before he disappeared, it's his hat she wears."_ Bruce says from the inside Raven's head.

"Problem is, she will have taken the books to Shadowcrest." Fate sighs. "I will try to find her and the book's. You two should rest." He says to Jason and Raven, the others agree to this, both because they doubt Zatanna would be very pleased about seeing either of them in her house.

"Ok, well I've got to go to Jump City and visit Luthor's House of Horrors." Raven sighs.

"A request from the Batman?" Jason asks.

"Yup, if Captain Marvel drops by, let him know. And let me know if you get your books back." Raven continues.

"Of course." Fate replies.

"Good luck." Raven says before she disappears from the room.


	2. Luthor's House of Horror's

_Jump City Penitentiary:_

"Hey you can't enter here!" A FBI agent shouts as Raven ducks under the barrier tape surrounding the open pit Green Lantern dug in the courtyard. Raven halts as the man grab hold of her cloak from the other side and turns slightly, just enough to be able to see him. A number of guards, both FBI, prison and National take notice of the situation and direct their attention to it.

"Let go." She says quietly letting a growl seep into her voice.

"It's all right, let her through!" Rancid's voice shouts over the speaker system. "She's Justice League." The agent looks at Raven for a few seconds before letting go.

"Don't touch anything." He warns.

"Whatever." Raven shrugs before floating down the pit, ignoring any reply the man may have.

"_He's just doing his job."_ Flash mentions.

"_Batman and Superman don't appreciate when people hold onto their capes either."_ Raven sends back.

"_Point taken."_ Flash replies as they arrive in the tunnel before Raven flies down it.

"_Floor below you was where we found the hostages." _John adds.

"_Start there, I want to have a look at the holding cell you woke up in."_ Batman says.

"_Hey Bats, how are you floating like J'onn?" _Flash asks as Raven heads in the direction she believes to be the right way.

"_Same way we can fly."_ Batman replies, Raven knows he is floating a few feet over the ground while resting his head on his balled fists, keeping his eyes fixed on the white orb in the Council Chamber, along with the rest of the Leaguers.

"_What the hell?"_ Flash swears as his own attempt lands him on his butt, to the amusement of John and Shayera, while Raven heads down an elevator shaft with a recent addition; a ladder, since the elevator itself lies crushed at the bottom of the shaft.

"I think there is a purpose of the way this facility has been constructed." Raven notes.

"_Agreed, none of the floors appeared to be copied or simply mirrored." _Batman agrees._ "Lex would never build anything randomly if he was in his right mind."_

"_We don't know if he was that, yet, but Batman is right."_ Superman agrees as Raven recalls the place of her cell and speeds up her flight, the place seems oddly quiet. _"Isn't this place supposed to be swarming with investigators?"_

"Yes. Unless they have gone home for the night or the more interesting parts are elsewhere." Raven agrees, she doesn't like it. "Here we are." She says as she touches down outside the cell and walks to stand in the entrance, eyeing the contraption that held onto her. "When you are stuck in that, you are standing, but crouching at the same time." Raven says as she lets an image of what it looked like when in use appear next to the orb in her mind. "I couldn't break it in any way I tried, so I had to wait for someone to come. I suspect every one of the brainwashed were here at one point."

"_Possible."_ Batman says as Raven lets her eyes wander the room.

"_How did you break out?"_ Diana asks.

"Had to wait for The Mad Hatter to come." Raven replies as she lets her memories form a different orb displaying what she saw. "I woke up to Lex and Tala talking about me, Lex was dismissive of me as a standard Amazon, Tala was getting the willies from looking at me. He said he had run some scans and tests but I don't know how he came to that conclusion. Anyways, Jarvis rhymed some made up verse about what he had and what he was going to do when he approached this cell. It was only when he entered I noticed they had taken my bracelets. I played dumb and let him give them back, having wrecked the chips I found he had put into them. After that, he let me out of this contraption." She says, not bothering continuing as her memories tells the Leaguers of the rest. "He didn't have to die." She sighs as the memory part finishes with Raven heading out the door.

"_Is it possible your powers could have set it off?" _J'onn asks.

"Maybe, but I never fail to notice when they begin to fluke." Raven explains. "Yes I was upset, since I knew what Luthor was going to do, but not any more than what I am used to suppressing. Even with the godswater entering the equation." She adds, silencing Batman's question.

"_It could be triggered by certain feeling, like pain, fear, that sort of thing?"_ John adds.

"_Or someone with a switch."_ Shayera continues. _"I just find it suspicious that it activated when you asked about anyone other than Diana."_

"_Someone wanted Raven to come to me, and only me?"_ Diana asks.

"It's possible, but unless we can find a switchboard with names on it, I think John's suggestion holds the most merit." Raven adds.

"_Would relieve a person from actively having to watch over the people he or she is controlling." _Superman adds, shooting down the outburst Shayera was about to counter with.

"_Anything else you can tell us about this room?"_ Batman continues.

"I'm not a tech-genius, but I'd say this thing is pretty advanced." Raven says as she walks slowly around the contraption that held her down.

"_Probably extends below the floor."_ Batman adds.

"_What does your other senses tell you?" _Diana asks.

"Who ever made it impervious to magic is skilled, very skilled." Raven notes.

"_Either Circe, Tala or Zatanna, if they could compel her to it." _J'onn adds.

"_Circe, most likely, Zee claimed once she was a goddess when it comes to magic."_ Batman continues._ "We don't know what Tala is."_

"_She technically is a goddess, there are some rumors she houses the spirit of Hecate, our goddess of witchcraft." _Diana adds.

"She's powerful, but her powers are generally focused on mind magic like all of her kin." Raven chips in.

"_Her kin?"_ Superman asks.

"You don't know what she is?" Raven asks in surprise.

"_You do."_ Batman surmises as raven realizes the League through Tala was a human.

"She's a succubus, if not The Succubus. I spent much of my time with Azar studying demons, Tala is mentioned in several very old tomes to be the leader of the succubi from the Greater Hell, a place where all minor Hells mix together making it the largest of them all."

"_She doesn't look demonic?"_ John adds.

"Neither do I, when I don't want to." Raven counters. "Whatever she looks like while on Earth, is meant to lure mortals to her. But she doesn't look like me in her true shape, which I saw when I broke into her mind." She continues as an image of Tala in her true form appears in her mind.

"_Kinky."_ Flash add.

"It's what they do." Raven adds.

"_We are done here."_ Batman says. _"Best place to start looking for answers, would be…"_

"Lex's lab and the private chambers." Raven finishes, snapping her fingers before heading off.

_Meanwhile in Switzerland:_

"I believe, I am going to be the sick." Starfire says, as the Swiss authorities pull the 5th body out of the ruins.

"I think I am." Cyborg says. Garfield had been sick when the first room had been opened, revealing its crushed occupant to be in a ghastly state of decomposition.

"Cy, is there any way someone else could have done this?" Garfield asks, the three have pulled back to allow the rescue team do their job.

"There is, but is just has Terra written all over it." Cyborg sighs. "Parts of this place were bombarded by huge boulders before it seems like the ground just disappeared under the foundation, causing the monastery to collapse before it was buried and crushed." He continues before he notices a group of reporters moving towards them. "Oh no…"

"Cyborg? Care to comment on how you knew about this?" A red dressed woman in high heels asks, sporting a thick French accent.

"Do you have any leads?" A man asks.

"Are the Titans back together?" A third asks, as Cyborg waves the others off, leaving him to deal with this.

"One at a time, please!" He says, waiting for them all to quiet down somewhat. "I can't comment about how we found out. But we do have a lead on who did this. For the third question, I will only say that we are as much a family as a team, but we are currently working together again." He says before another barrage is unleashed on him, while Beastboy and Starfire retreat to sit on a rock out of sight and sound of the reporters looking up at the emerging moon.

"I hate to admit it friend Beastboy, but Cyborg is right, this truly does appear to be Terra's work." Starfire sighs in a depressed tone.

"I know Star, I know." Beastboy whispers as his mind races with all of his memories of Terra, faster and faster they go before he remembers the face Terra sported the night she attacked them all. The smirk and the crazed look in her eyes, and then he sees her sporting the same expression while floating on a rock while the monastery crumbles beneath her assault. "DAMNIT IT I KNOW!" He screams before he changes into a gorilla and hurls a huge boulder down the mountainside while roaring after it before changing back."Damnit I know." He whispers as he falls onto his knees with tears running from his eyes as he looks up at the emerging moon. "Damn you Raven for being right, God damn you." He cries, unheeding of the arms wrapping themselves around him.

"No, do not curse her, curse the bnf'ofkar who did this." Starfire says as Beastboy wraps his arms around her as well.

"Why do I always choose the wrong ones?!" Garfield almost howls into her shoulder. "I fall in love with a half demon and a fucking psychopath, what kind of guy am I?!"

"A very kind one, one who opens his heart to those who need it most." Starfire says. "Had you been born on Tamaran, you would have been great amongst us." She says quietly as her own tears take hold and the two friends hold onto each other for dear life. Raven may have been the one who was first affected by Terra's betrayal of them, the events tonight have dragged what Raven saw in her into the light for Beastboy and Starfire to see, and it has broken them.

_Back in Jump City:_

"Guess we know where they all went." Raven whispers to the others as she touches down and walks the last few feet, having spotted several agents working on opening a metal sliding door.

"_Waller_." Batman grumbles as the spot the woman standing at the back with passive expression on her face as she watches the others toil._ "Be careful around her."_ Raven nods at this.

"How'd you get in here?" Waller asks in surprise as she notices Raven, the others stop working to look at the new arrival as well.

"Rancid let me in." Raven shrugs.

"Idiot." Amanda whispers under her breath. "Let me guess; the League sent you?"

"Yes, I am acting as Batman's eyes and ears as he cannot be here in person." For some reason Raven finds it a little amusing saying that, since she was both lying and being truthful as well.

"The League must still be in turmoil." Amanda shrugs. "But you can forget about getting access to that lab, whatever is in there is government property."

"_Options?" _Raven sends inwards.

"_They want anything Luthor might have come up with to fight us." _J'onn says.

"_Not to mention anything else that may be inside." _Flash adds.

"Not like you seem to be having any luck with the door." Raven grumbles at the woman.

"_Can you teleport through it?"_ Batman asks.

"_Yes, it's not warded."_

"We will get there." Amanda replies flatly. "Now leave." Raven just shrugs before teleporting through the ceiling.

"Think I would have liked him better when he was just a guy in a suit." Raven sighs as she studies the lab. Unlike most of the facility, this place is almost painfully well lit, making all of the gory details very visible.

There is a table with the microscope and a host of other items needed for examinations and testing that is placed against the right wall from where she stands. On the right wall, in the corner is a section of the wall that is completely covered by small television screens and a switch board with numerous blinking lights. Next to them is an area that is sunk into the wall, where two large capsule shaped tanks filled with greenish liquid are housed, along with the machinery that seems to keep it running in the back. One seems to be empty, the other has a body floating inside of it, Raven can't tell the gender from here, but it's build could be that of a female. In the center is two metal gurneys, or operating tables, one splashed with blood but otherwise empty, the other occupied by something that might once have been a human. At the far end of the lab the wall is covered by computer banks and a section where three water filled cylinders with a floating brain with eyes and its spinal column stare back at her in two of them. The brains are just about the sickest thing Raven has ever seen, she can feel their fear.

"They are alive." She notes to the others.

"_My god…" _Superman gasps.

"_Priorities."_ Batman notes.

"Brains, corpse, tank, computer, cameras." Raven replies flatly before walking over to the three jars, as she gets closer she notes one only has one eye and the third tank is empty. "Strange, the one eyed one is only muted in his emotional transmission. Hold on, I will try and talk to this one." She says while looking at the one with two eyes. _"Hello?"_ Raven asks, before a long keening wail greets her and the others. _"Shh, don't worry, I just want to talk."_ Raven continues, while trying to transmit soothing thoughts into the mind._ "Hold on, this will be a little weird."_ She says as she pulls the mind into her own, leaving a very nude and scared woman to appear inside the Council room, before she is covered by a piece of white cloth.

"Wha…What is this?" She asks while heaving for air. "Where am I?"

"In my mind." Raven replies from above.

"Mercy? Mercy Graves?!" The woman snaps around at the mention of the name, spotting the ghostly shapes of the League and the silent figures of the Council. "Good God, what has Luthor done to you?" Superman asks as he approaches her.

"NO! Stay away!" Mercy shouts as she backs away from him into the corner at the door. "It's a trick, I'm going mad, I have to be!" She sobs.

"Was she conscious?" Batman asks.

"Yes." Raven replies as she appears as well in the room. "Mercy?" She asks as she walks over to the weeping woman. "Take it easy, nothing will hurt you in here." She says quietly.

"Who are you? What is all of this?" Mercy asks as she tries to dry her eyes.

"I am Raven, I'm with the League. This is my mind or a part of it, it's not a trick. Look, I am afraid we don't have much time before Amanda Waller breaks down the door to the lab, but I need to know how you ended up here. I will try and see what the League can do from there." Raven says quietly as she sits down next to the woman, Mercy nods.

"I…it happened, I think, seven months ago. I was meeting my driver in the LexCorp basement after a board of directors meeting. I don't know what happened, but something hit me in the back of the head as I entered. When I came to, I was strapped down on one of the tables in the lab. That's when Luthor showed up with the Joker next to him, he talked while the Joker tortured me. Telling me he was disappointed in me but that he was willing to forgive if I resumed 'my place' behind him. I don't think I replied, but he just gave me that damn grin of his before assuming me that I would agree. I don't know how long the Joker kept up, but I eventually passed out. When I came too, I couldn't move and everything seemed distorted, that's when Luthor held up a mirror in one hand and my…my empty head in the other!" She screams the last part, causing the structure around them to rumble.

"Luthor will get what he deserves, but you have to go back for now." Raven says before she sends Mercy back into her own mind.

"Couldn't you let her stay here?" Shayera asks.

"She is coming apart at the seams." Raven sighs. "If she stays here, she will cause my powers to run out of control in the real world. I don't like leaving her in there either, but I can't shelter her, not now."

"Good enough." Batman says as she returns as well. _"I suspect the other one is Deadshot, don't enter his mind, rumor has it he is insane."_

"Noted, moving on to the body." She says as she walks over, while being thankful the room has a low temperature so the body doesn't smell bad, yet. "Male, Caucasian, judging from the skin color, weighting from 80-90 kg. Muscular build, assuming the deceased exercises regularly or engages in similar activities on a regular basis." She says as she walks around the body slowly. "Cause of death, unknown, he appears to be without physical injury on most of his body. Major factor, his head appears to have been torn from his shoulders, judging from the stump, most likely cause of death."

"_Umm, Raven, we can see all of this." _Flash says.

"It makes it easier for me to do this if I think of this as an object, also it helps me remember it." She replies while studying the wound more closely. "Question, where is the head?"

"_You sound like a coroner with a recorder."_ Superman notes.

"Had to spend a little too much time around one due to Dr. Light, picked it up from him." Raven replies. "Could this be Deadshot's body?" She asks.

"_Hmm, it's a good guess, but Wallers files claim he should have a tattoo on his chest, over his heart, a crosshair."_ Batman replies.

"Hmm well this one has a tattoo, but it's not a crosshair." Raven notes at his right shoulder, it's a red circle with a tilted scale's silhouette in it.

"_It's Nemesis."_ Batman sighs, the others appear downhearted as well at the discovery. _"He was a good man."_

"A Leaguer I guess." Raven assumes solemnly.

"_Yes, cover him up will you?"_ Batman asks, Raven pulls the white cloth that has been covering Nemesis' lower body over the rest of him. Looking at the covered body for a second she turns her attention to the two tanks, the left one is empty and the small console in front of it says it is waiting for a strand of DNA to be added to it so it can begin replicating. _"An accelerated cloning machine." _Batman notes, Raven guesses he is impressed.

"_Let me guess, it makes clones at a phenomenal rate?"_ Diana asks.

"_Yes, have a look at the other tank."_ Batman instructs.

"Doesn't look like a Mercy Graves clone." Raven notes at the female body in the tank that is floating with tubes going into its arms, legs and back and has a breathing mask strapped over its head. Raven looks down to see if the console will tell them more.

_Status: Complete, awaiting programming._

_Subject: Real name unknown, tagged: Grey Amazon._

Raven's eyes almost fall out of her skull as she reads that name and looks up in shock at the body before forcing the tubes to spin it around. "That bastard!" Raven says, mortified by the body in the tank, it's hers.

"_Hera."_ Diana gasps.

"_Raven, search it, you have to know to what extent Luthor has succeeded."_ Batman urges, breaking Raven out of her mortified state of mind and she nods before sending her mind into that of her double, searching it in every way she can before slipping back into herself after being out for almost five minutes.

"I don't believe it, it's a perfect double of me." Raven sighs. "Even my powers have been copied, along with the godswaters effects."

"_Is it conscious?"_ Superman asks.

"It's a robot, it has all of the automated functions a human body has, but it has no conscious thoughts, practically brain dead."

"_This is disturbing." _Batman adds figuring that the clone was only brain dead because Luthor hadn't given it the programming yet. _"What are you going to do about it?" _He asks getting some questioning looks from the others.

"I-I have to destroy it." Raven stammers. "If it wakes it could level a city if not more because it lacks the training I have in controlling my emotions."

"_Hold up. Is there no chance this could actually be beneficial, like Conner?"_ Superman asks.

"I mean no offence Superman, but this is not Conner. You know I didn't ask him about his past because I could feel he hated to be reminded of it, but could he control his heat vision?" She asks.

"_So far, he has not actually shown to have it, much to his annoyance."_ Superman says. _"What has that to do with it?"_

"I was trained since infancy, when my powers could only rustle leaves while I was in a crib, since then my powers have grown to what it is now. This thing will wake up with that kind of power but with no idea of how to control it. Also there is the demon aspect of this, a part of my training was to suppress that part of me. It is very likely it will wake up only to be seized by that part, and you have seen what that part of me is like."

"_You have to destroy it, there are too many risks involved with it." _John adds.

"_Is there no possibli…"_

"Superman, no. Conner is a clone of you, and you are good right down to the last atom of you. I am not, half of me maybe human, but the other half is absolute evil. And one more of me is more than what this world has to endure."

"_This isn't just because of the dream last night?" _Diana asks.

"With a clone of me around, parts of that dream is dangerously close to being real. I am sorry, but I have to pull stripes on this, this can't be allowed to awaken." She says as she lifts off the ground and summons her energies.

"_She is right, even if Luthor did it unintentionally; something like this is a time bomb." _Batman agrees while wondering if Lex knew what he was doing.

"_Bruce…"_

"_Clark no, she is right about this. It's not like Conner in any way, there's too much at risk to even try. Conner broke free under his own power. If anything this is a Doomsday copy."_

"_We have to agree." _Hemon suddenly adds as he and Arella walks inside the council chamber. _"Raven is unique, that she is the only one of hundreds of attempts from Trigon to bring a child into the world, none other lived past infancy. Trigon cannot be allowed another, least of all one that is completely without any sort of training or humanity."_

"_I can't believe I am hearing this?!" _Superman asks in outrage._ "What is Conner then? A thing? A tool?"_

"No, he is a very good person and I mean person, not a clone or an inanimate object. He has a soul, very small, but it is growing. This thing doesn't have one, and if it gets one, it will be instantly swallowed by the demon inside of it."

"_She is correct." _Arella adds. _"Do it."_

Raven nods as she closes her eyes as her garb changes color to pure white, inside the chamber, the emotions disappear being replaced by a single white one. She lets her soulself lift from her before it surges forwards in the shape of a mighty bird that passes through the tank's barrier and embraces the still body inside of it. There is no sound, but they can all see what is happening as first the skin peels away, then the muscles and finally the bones disintegrate, leaving nothing of the clone behind.

"_I need air."_ Superman says firmly before storming out of the room as Raven returns to her normal garb.

"_He thinks of the best in everyone." _Shayera sighs._ "But that was too dangerous to leave around."_

"Yes. We have to remove all traces of this contraption, or Waller might be tempted." Raven replies.

"_Cull whatever information you can from it and the computers then wreck them both." _Batman agrees.

"Got it." Raven replies flatly before walking over to the part of the wall with the TV screens and switches on the computer seated at the bottom while looking at the screens and the switchboard.

"_It's a kill board." _J'onn adds as they spot the names under each.

"_Seems like you are clear Raven." _Batman notes as they see Jarvis' switch having been flipped. _"Is there a way to shut them off?"_

"Hmm, there are two large buttons at the bottom." Raven notes at the red and green buttons, but no labels telling her what they do.

"_One will kill them all; the other will short them all out."_ Flash adds. _"Guess the green one is the one we want."_

"Can't take that chance." Raven says. "Luthor may have planned on killing everyone eventually."

"_Agreed."_ Batman adds. _"Leave it for now."_

"Hmm, password?" Raven notes as the log on screen appears on the computer, she thinks for a few seconds before typing in an idea and is granted access.

"_How did you do that?" _Flash asks, he was expecting Batman to come up with it.

"Figured with Luthor it would be something suitably arrogant." Raven replies.

"_What was it?"_ Shayera asks.

"Iamgod." Raven replies flatly as she notes the files on the desk and that this is connected to the internet.

"_That's just lame."_ Flash adds, getting a nod from John in agreement.

"_Same thing I arrived at." _Batman notes. _"Open a link to Oracle, using that encrypted message program, search for Express Delivery." _Raven types quickly and gets a few possibilities, picking the one based in Gotham a small window opens with a type bar at the bottom.

The Oracle: Express Delivery, how can we help you?

"Do I need to talk in codes?" Raven asks.

"_No, Luthor's system should be otherwise shielded or we would have found him earlier."_

Iamgod: Oracle, this is Raven, I am writing from Lex Luthor's computer in the complex in Jump City, we need you to store whatever he has here.

The Oracle: Oh boy, hit me.

Iamgod: Sending C-drive now.

Raven types before dragging the selected file over the window and drops it, beginning the upload.

The Oracle: 7000TB?! Damn I'm glad I can download 15TB a second. Will be done in about 7 minutes.

Iamgod: Ok, I got to destroy whatever is at this end when you are done.

Raven brings up a search screen and types in a query, Graves. Ignoring the single files, she looks through the folders, selecting the one named Real, she quickly reads through the files inside of it before sighing. "We can't move either Mercy or Deadshot, the systems keeping them alive are too big for me to teleport with and they will die if we go without them.

"_Leave them for Waller."_ Batman sighs. _"Can you store Nemesis somewhere cold?"_

"Sure." Raven says before turning to the body and lets her soul-self swallow it, leaving only the blood behind before returning to the screen. "Seems we are done here." She says noting that the upload is complete.

Iamgod: Happy reading.

The Oracle: I need an entire team of people for all of this! But thanks. Cya.

Iamgod: Cya, Raven out.

Raven lets her powers seep into the machine connecting her soul with every circuit and every memory bank she can before she has them all rupture from within along with frying a host of chips. On the outside only the screen cracks before going black. "Now for this." She says as she faces the cloning machine again, again her powers spring forth, surrounding the entire section of the wall before it begins compressing everything. Raven visibly strains as it becomes harder and harder to compress it even further, finally stopping when the entire section has been compressed to a ball with a diameter of 1,5 meters. Although panting, Raven continues to use her powers to teleport the ball away, dropping it into Jump City Bay right under the bridge. "Time to go." She sighs as she notices the door open slightly at the bottom, quickly she gathers her thoughts and teleports out, leaving the investigators and Waller to enter the lab.

"Damn teleporters." Amanda growls as she eyes the damage.


	3. Down Time in Jump City

After ransacking both Circe's and Tala's collection of books and magical trinkets from their rooms, along with procuring a number of interesting documents from Lex's quarters; Raven has been suggested that they go see what some of the major players had to say, incarcerated as they are in the prison above them. Lex is out of the question, they all knew, partially because he's still comatose and that Raven might not be wise to have in the same room as him. Officer Foley jumps out of his seat when Raven suddenly appears in the lobby.

"Jeez I nearly shit myself!" He complains.

"Sorry. I need to talk to Rancid, unless you can grant me access to some of the prisoners from below?" She asks.

"I thought you'd never get up here." Rancid says as he storms out of his office before Foley can answer, sporting a broad smirk.

"So can you?" She asks again, knowing he heard her the first time.

"Well under a number of laws that's about as long as my arm, I can't just let civilians waltz in and ask questions without an appointment and state approval, but I think I can dodge the Commish for you, just this once." He says still with the broad smile. "But I got to let you know, the nutter's like Slade, apparently, have been transferred back to their homey nuthouses. And those who were badly wounded are in the hospital wing. So who do you want?"

"Tala will probably be the most informative." Raven replies after a short debate amongst the other. "After that, I would like a word with Circe."

"Hmm, well if they can get their heads out of the toilet bowls." Rancid mentions as he leads her off into the prison.

"Are they sick?" Raven asks.

"No, but according to our friendly bossy government official, both of them are very powerful witches. So we have had some special equipment made available to us. It doesn't bother normal people, but my skin crawls whenever I'm near. You will probably also be affected, but in a lesser degree." He explains as they pass through first the checkpoints and then the prison block itself with Raven getting lots of catcalls as she passes the inmates, but she ignores them.

"Thanks for the heads up."

"No problem, let me know if you will need a bucket or something." Johnny says as he waves at a pair of heavily armed and armored guards to open a heavy door, leading down a corridor where the meta human prisoners are kept. Unlike the rest of the prison, that has the more traditional iron doors to hold the prisoners in, the cells here have large glass facades that are completely air tight. Communication has to happen over a speaker system that the prisoners can't activate on their own. From the entrance Raven can tell where Tala and Circe are kept, since the bulky equipment moved here is standing in the hallway. "Second one, I'll stay here." Johnny says as he leans against the wall, letting Raven walk alone the rest of the way. Passing several of her old Titan enemies and a few of the ones from below, they either don't notice her or just stare after her. Passing Circe, she notes the purple headed woman is lying on her bunk facing the wall. Like Johnny said, Tala is lying sprawled on the floor while hanging onto the metal toilet bowl. Like Tala is undoubtedly doing, Raven feels a degree of nausea creep up on her as she stands between the machine and Tala's glass prison, but she fights it down.

"How the mighty have fallen." Raven notes dryly, getting the woman to look up, she is sweating heavily.

"You wouldn't be so mighty either If you had to endure this." Tala sighs.

"Perhaps, but I haven't broken the law either so that won't be tested." Raven replies while crossing her arms. "I have some questions for you."

"I have nothing to say Daughter of Trigon." Tala says before putting her head into the toilet again.

"You do, you don't have a chip, meaning Luthor had you in his inner circles." Raven counters.

"I have nothing to say." Tala continues before groaning.

"_Try threatening her."_ Batman says.

"You know, I am quite certain that due to its maker; that this machine can actually do a lot worse than it is now." This gets Tala's attention as she pulls her head out of the bowl in time to see Raven turn around calmly to study the machine behind her. "Maybe it's this one?" Raven asks while letting her fingers toy with a button.

"No…don't." Tala pleads as she crawls from the toilet to the glass separating them. "I'll talk."

"Figured you might." Raven says as she turns back to face the woman. "We have searched through most of the complex below, but we have not found the corpse of the dragon you made off with. What did you do with it."

"We…we stored it…the remains that is." Tala admits. "We used some of the meat."

"For?" Raven asks.

"The mind wiping."

"You fed Machior to the ones who would not be controlled through more conventional means?" Raven asks, wondering if she should tell the victims, while Batman checks off one of he lingering theories about the mind controlling.

"Yes. We also used a few other bits for the ritual too." Tala says while looking at the ground after she curls up in a corner.

"Where is the rest of him?" Raven asks. Tala remains silent and stares at the ground. After a few seconds pass, Raven suddenly grabs the button she was toying with and twists it a few notches up before moving out of the way, even she could not stay in that for long without getting affected. Tala reacts as if kicked in the stomach before she goes into spasms, slamming her head and limbs into the walls, Raven lets it continue for five seconds before turning it back down to its previous setting, Tala collapses on the ground with a blank expression in her eyes. "Talk, or I leave it up."

"Un…m…my…domain." Tala sighs, now looking more dead than alive.

"_Ask her why she is alive."_ Batman mentions._ "She was reported dead a few years ago, used as component by Luthor to resurrect Brainiac but they ended up with Darkseid instead."_

"Why are you again on this plane of existence?" Tala gives Raven a weak smirk from the floor.

"It's…just too much fun here, and I only die temporarily before I can return." Raven nods before turning away. "Wait, why do you do it?" She asks.

"Do what?" Raven asks as she turns her head.

"Deny what you are?" Tala says. "You could have everything."

"I don't want anything that isn't freely offered. You can see what I am, what the dominant part of me is and what is not. This is the part that does this." She says as she turns the device down a notch from its original setting. "You should be able to hold your meals down now." Raven replies before turning to the smirking woman in the cell next to Tala's, who doesn't seem to be affected by the device at all. "And you."

"And me; the all-powerful Circe." The woman smiles as she leans into the corner, placing her face inches from Raven's. "What would you ask of me little Amazon."

"I know a man you once encountered in Greece." Raven replies without showing any emotions, while the Founders hear Happy suggest they should point out that the All-Powerful Circe is in a box but is refuted by Wisdom without further elaborating.

"Ahh, one of my darling admirers?"

"I doubt he would hesitate snapping your neck if he had the chance." Raven replies flatly, deflating the woman's attitude immediately, her mood immediately turns sour.

"What do you want?" Circe growls.

"Change him back." The two end up glaring at each other.

"Such an odd request. Why would I want to?" Circe asks.

"Quid pro que." Raven replies.

"Hmm how interesting." Circe smirks, while Raven wonders if she had just made a mistake, Circe still had the power of persuasion and she was not one you could afford to underestimate and definitely one you don't want to have influence over you. "But what have you to offer me?"

"I won't tell a seething Wonder Woman where they are keeping you." Raven replies, getting Circe to blink a few times. Inside Raven's head however Wonder Woman is remaining oddly stoic, she had long since found out what Circe had done to her after she and Batman found her.

"Hmm, deal. But I need to know who or by what method I changed him."

"He said he was offered a cup." Raven replies while wondering if that had been all of it; it could have easily been a sedative of some kind making the victim nice and placid for Circe to work her magic on.

"Ah, a pity, the seething Wonder Woman broke that particular cup. Without it, I can do nothing and the spell is permanent. But you still have to hold up your part." Circe smirks confidently, believing herself to have fooled the woman on the other side, Raven remains blank.

"Hmm that's true, and I have no choice since we are bound by magic." Raven replies before teleporting out of sight. Batman however quickly takes note of that line.

"But I already know where you are!" Diana's voice rings behind Circe making her turn in time to receive a right fist in her face that leaves her lying unconscious on the ground.

"I couldn't help it if Diana listened in on this." Raven's voice sounds again before she leaves the cell.

"I didn't see anything." Rancid says from down the hallway.

"I did." A deep voice makes Rancid jump into the hallway in surprise. "I'm usually the first one here."

"Batman." Raven nods at him without batting an eye. "Sorry, but Fate reminded me that a certain dragon was missing. I thought it best to ask the most likely users."

"Jeez man, I'm already paranoid!" Rancid huffs while his guards remain impressively silent. "Hey how'd you get in here?" Batman just gives him a small smirk.

"Hmm, I came here for the same thing. What have you leaned?" He asks Raven, ignoring Rancid.

"Tala has the remains stored in her domain, after using a few parts. I will try and get it back later when time allows."

"Good, come with me." Batman says before turning around and marches out.

"Well hello to you too." Rancid growls.

"He's like that to everyone." Raven notes to him as the two follow. "So where are we going?"

"The scene of the crime."

"_Already been there."_ Raven sends.

"_Damn meetings, I was looking forwards to that."_ Richard sounds disappointed.

"Is it just me or does he seem, different?" Rancid whispers to Raven, she and the others have to agree, that Dick is not quite as broad as Bruce is.

"It's just you, there's only one Batman after all." Raven shrugs. "Anyways how is this side of the fence for you Jonny?" She asks changing subject.

"Oh it's all right, except I there are too many of the special cases that make it out of here." Rancid sighs in an annoyed tone.

"You have a good head, when you choose to use it." Raven replies.

"_Rancid has a good head?"_ Richard sends across the telepathic bond.

"_Built a giant robot, didn't he?"_ Raven sends back, thinking mainly of Rexzilla and its predecessor Rex.

"Thanks, but I have a budget the higher-ups are quite insisting on me keeping." Rancid replies as they come to the basement access. "Anyways, I was really nice to see you again Raven, I hope it won't be the last time. Got a desk with lots of new names on it that needs tending." He says before walking on, Raven notes that the guards he passes all salute him like trained soldiers.

"He's changed a lot. Does a good job too." Batman notes.

"He does." Raven agrees.

"Get us out of here." Batman says with Richard using his own voice before getting swallowed by Raven's shadow.

"And I thought with a thermal insulated suit, that that would be less chilly." Richard says as he appears out of Raven's shadow, finding himself on a rather familiar island.

"It's actually your soul that gets chilled, you body just thinks it's cold as well." Raven replies.

"_He looks good."_ Diana notes to Bruce now that they can see Richard in the sunshine.

"_He looks uncomfortable."_ Bruce counters._ "But he sounds like me."_

"Doesn't quite feel like we lived here for four years, does it?" Richard asks as he surveys the grass covered island.

"No." Raven agrees. "But there are many good memories tied to this place." She continues as she pulls off her hood, Richard guesses she is walking down memory lane.

"There is." He agrees as he walks down the lane as well, before the memory of Terra brings him back.

"What?" Raven asks, noticing the shift in him, he sighs.

"Cy, BB and Star went to the monastery." They end up locking eyes, Richard can tell she is halfway dreading and halfway hoping for him to continue with good news. "I'm sorry." Raven's eyes changes slowly, from ones containing an equal mix of fear and hope, to ones filled with grief before she turns away.

"Terra is in custody." She sighs with a defeated tone in her voice. "The killer is already caught." She continues as her cape and hood changes to black. "I will wear it like this, for them and for the others for a month." Richard knows it is taking a lot out of her to remain calm and is about to say something when a blink from a small bush draws his attention, leaving Raven to stare out over the bay in the midday sun. Crouching down he retrieves the object, a cracked beauty mirror framed with a particular design Richard knows. Smiling to himself he brings it over to Raven. "What? What's…my mirror?" She asks in surprise as he hands it to her. "Where did you get this?" She looks up at him in question.

"That bush." Richard says with a smirk, thumbing at the piece of vegetation.

"Pity it's just what it is now, but thanks." She says while studying herself with it. Richard knows he has to say something now, before Raven drifts back into the depression he could almost see creep up on her.

"No problem. Look, I know what it's like to lose, but don't let it eat you." She just nods at him but remains silent. "Say, since we are here and not expected anywhere soon, do you want to see what the city is like these days?" She looks at him in surprise at the turn in the conversation before replying.

"Batman in a sunny city?" She asks with a raised eyebrow, getting a smirk out of him.

"Nope; Richard Grayson and one of several Raven fangirls." She just stares at him.

"_A date to make her forget the grief, nice move."_ John notes with an amused huff.

"_They could be working."_ Bruce replies, obviously not keen on the distraction.

"_They need to relax once in a while, besides it's not going anywhere. Actually I think Richard has the right idea, and you are coming with me." _Diana smirks at him while the others look on amused at the exchange. "Like you will have anything better to do."She continues.

"_Ok." _Bruce sighs, before following Diana out, leaving the others behind to wait for Superman who returns a few seconds later.

"_Seems I missed something?"_ He asks while Flash finally breaks into laughing.

"_Only Batman getting hauled off on a date."_ Shayera notes, while smiling. _"Feeling better?"_

"_Yeah, I went to ask the demon about a few things."_ Superman sighs. _"She was right to destroy it; I was just thinking it was just like Conner. All it would need was a decent upbringing."_

"_It was too late for that."_ J'onn mentions.

"_I know, now."_ Superman sighs.

_Switzerland:_

"Well, don't you two look comfy?" Cyborg notes as he comes across his two friends, still seated on their rock, they turn around too look at him with what he calls wet cat eyes, where they are very large and give the impression that the two have been caught red handed doing something they shouldn't. Cyborg had of course noticed the noise the two were making, but pretended to not hear it and kept the press' focus on him. "You don't have to stay here you know?"

"No, I'll stay till the last one is out." Beastboy says.

"As will I. I wish to know how many have been lost in this tragedy." Starfire adds.

"Ok, I am going to go see if there is anything I can do to help them, you want in?" Cyborg asks.

"Yeah, the shock has passed, we can help too." Beastboy speaks for the both of them.

"Good. I have notified Rob about what we have found here, he said he would tell Rae when he catches up with her and try to keep her from going into a depression. KF and Jinx have collected Cole and Gnaark and brought it to the satellite; we will bring whoever else we find there as well." Cyborg says as he leads the pair back to the job at hand.

_Back in Jump City:_

"Doesn't seem to have changed much." Richard notes as he walks besides Raven down the streets of Jump City. With Raven having opted to just change into a pair of black jeans and a matching sweat shirt to cover the bracelets. Whereas Richard is sporting a pair of sunglasses, a red t-shirt and a pair of army-green canvas pants.

"Well I am not getting harassed, which is a positive thing." Raven adds as they walk onto the street that runs besides the shoreline overlooking the bay and Titan Island. "That's new." She notes at a small park down the road.

"Let's check it out." Richard suggests, for both of them, it is a little weird walking around the city they defended for years without getting recognized. "Titan Park?" He notes at the sign hanging over the entrance.

"A memorial?" Raven suggests as they enter through the gate, to find the narrow stretch of trees shielding the park from the traffic noise to hide a small green lawn with a pool of clear water in the middle. To the side facing the bay is a chest high barrier of rocks with a number of slots in it. Half are vacant when not counting the fixed binoculars visitors can use to look over the bay and to Titan Isle. The rest are occupied by large statues, one of each Titan and a single large one with them all included. In front of each statue is a small console where a screen is displaying a some information's about the people the statues depict. "Crowded." Raven notes, the park really seem to be, with numerous people present, most of them appear to be families here to amuse their kids.

"Seems we have become a tourist attraction." Richard adds as they walk, noting many of the people here appear to be Japanese.

"Robin, the Boy Wonder." Raven reads from the interactive information screen in front of the first statue of a boy with his arms crossed over his chest, spiked hair and a confident smirk on his face.

"Officially recognized as the leader of the Teen Titans, Robin was the one who most often dealt with public relations and the city representatives. Although the only one without special powers, all Titans trusted in his wisdom and leadership and eventually regarded him as the unofficial head of the entire Titan organization. Many suspect he had connections to the infamous urban myth; the Batman from Gotham City, as a similarly attired and named individual was known to operate there, but these rumors have never been confirmed." Richard reads, looking over a few options below the text; abilities, fighting style and the address of the Robin fan site, or rather the largest one, he knew of at least two dozen dedicated to Robin alone.

"Garfield Logan, better known as Beastboy was always viewed as the prankster of the group. Often noted to crack jokes at the successful conclusion of a battle, is a changeling capable of changing into all forms of animals and inherit their abilities, except he is green no matter what form he takes. Raised by and as a member of the Doom Patrol, Garfield Logan was reported to have returned to his old team after the Titans disbanded." Raven reads from the screen in front of the statue of Beastboy, he has been portrayed like Robin, but with less of a smirk. Raven notes he also has movies of his fighting style and a link to both the Doom Patrol homepage and the link to an unofficial fan site.

"Cyborg, half man, half machine, saved from an untimely death by the technicians at the Jump City branch of S.T.A.R. Labs. Unofficially recognized as the second in command of the Titans West, was built to be better than most, fitted with numerous weapons and a high endurance and strength as well as being gifted with a grand mind for all matters technological. Physically the largest and oldest of the Titans, he was also known to be an avid gamer, fun and food lover." Richard reads, again noting the extra videos and another web link. Like the other males, Cyborg stands with his arms crossed over his chest, unlike the others; he has a stern visage as he stares at the city like it had offended him.

"Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran, better known as Starfire, was undoubtedly the physical powerhouse of the Titans. Capable of many great feats of strength as well as firing lasers from her hands and eyes, she was an instrumental part of many of the Titan's battles. Arriving on Earth, she possessed no knowledge of our customs or speech, which often led to mistakes being made between her and those she interacted with. Known to be the most friendly and outgoing of all of the Titans, she could often be seen in the city attempting to adapt to human culture, with varying degrees of success. Her relationship, or want for one, with her leader was obvious and served as a source of rumors in the papers." Raven finishes. "They shouldn't have written this last part." She says while looking up at the statue of her friend in full flight and a happy smile on her face. "When the Titan's disbanded, Starfire was reported to have returned to her home world to take up the throne." _"If only they knew."_ Raven sighs internally.

"Raven, the Dark One, the Last Titan. Little is known about the most mysterious of the Titans except for her awesome power. Some called her arrogant and lofty others called her shy and private, fact remains she rarely talked to those who did not need to hear her voice. Though little is actually known about her, the rumors about her are legion. While the others were present Raven went mostly unseen by the press, all of which changed when the Titans disbanded, leaving Raven as the only member to defend Jump City. The press, used to the open team housed in the bay, was suddenly met with a wall of silence. Though she defended Jump City single handedly for three years, the press never relented its attempts in cornering the elusive guardian. Where Raven is today, no one knows, as she disappeared after defending the city from the monstrous form of a dragon that left much of the city scarred by the battle. Where ever she may be, we, the City, thank her for her selfless dedication to protect us and we pray for her return one day. Signed by the Jump City Council." Richard reads aloud, Raven almost pushes him to the ground to read the last line, she looks surprised as she looks up. "They don't seem to hate you." He mentions.

Raven's statue seems to be more of an impression of her, which would make sense since she always kept her hood up whenever she noticed a photographer around. Richard had once asked her to take it off for the team shot, only to have his request countered that she would take off the hood, if he would remove the mask. She seems taller than the others as the cloak is wrapped around her completely without any clear cut line of where it leaves the rock it is attached to. Raven notes it could be her emerging from the ground, while being impressed that the artist could get the hood to hang like the real thing while still having calm face visible underneath it.

"I'm at a loss for words." Raven finally manages. "I thought they would have been happy to get rid of me."

"Think you spent too much time glaring at the people on the peers." Richard says with a smirk. "Come on; let's see what they write about the team."

"I think we have to forgo that." Raven mentions flatly as large class of kids line up around the group statue and their teacher.

"Or we can listen in." Richard suggests, knowing she is about to turn away he halt her by grabbing onto her hand. When she turns to glare at him, he shushes her as the elderly female teacher begins.

"Ok everyone, this little park was made to honor a group of young people who spent four years protecting this city from all manner of bad men. The leader of the group was this boy, Robin." She says as she points out the statue of Robin that is running into action. "He was a brave boy to do what he did, even if he never seemed to have any superhuman powers."

"But, why was he the leader?" A small boy asks.

"Well, we never knew really, but perhaps the others trusted him to keep them in touch with the rest of us, a reminder that not everyone had their powers?" The teacher replies. "His second in command was Cyborg, a very loud boy when he spoke and his cannon were even louder." She continues holding her ears at the last part for emphasis, getting a small chorus of giggles out of the kids. Both Raven and Richard knows she hasn't actually been anywhere near Cyborg when he fired them, since they don't make that much noise, for a sonic cannon that is. Victor once explained that it actually compresses sound into a physical force, meaning you'd have to get hit by it in the head to have an idea how loud the really were. The statue of the man is also depicted as running, to the back left of Robin with the right cannon aimed at the enemy. "This young lady was known as Starfire, she was from another planet and had powers like our Superman, but just not as much. She had a kind heart, but she was, a little, foolish. Last I heard of her, she returned home."

"But teacher, why did she go back? Didn't she like it here?" A girl asks.

"I heard she was really a princess and had to return home to marry a handsome prince that was waiting for her." The teacher smiles, both Titans wish it had been that. "Now this young man, Beastboy, he was a funny one, could always tell a joke. He could change into all sorts of animals to help out his friends…"

"Even dinosaurs?!" A boy interrupts.

"Oh, yes, all of them, big and small." The teacher confirms.

"Wow, I wanna be like Beastboy!" An enthusiastic boy shouts.

Starfire and Beastboy are depicted as flying and running respectively to the right of Robin, one above the other.

"He wants to be an annoying grass stain on a sugar rush?" Raven whispers to Richard, who smirks, it was one of the things Cyborg called him when he lost to him while playing video games.

"Who is the lady at the back?" A girl asks. "She looks scary." Raven's mood drops a fraction at this.

"Oh, that is Raven, the last of them to leave this City. And yes she was scary, but she only scared bad men, scared them very much in fact. But all witches are scary after all." The teacher smiles knowingly, Richard was wondering if Raven would react if she ended up being compared to the Wicked Witch of the West.

"But, don't you burn witches?" A girl asks.

"No, sweetie, not any more at least, and Raven never hurt anyone who didn't break the law." The teacher replies.

"My uncle says she's not a witch." A boy speaks up. "He says she's just got some special powers that let's her move stuff with her head."

"Oh and how does your uncle know that?" The teacher asks.

"He's a cop here." The boy shrugs.

"My mom read she is a devil, told me to run if I saw her." A girl counters.

"We better go before I feel I have to reveal myself." Raven whispers as the group of children descend into boasting and warnings.

"I think you're right." Richard agrees and they leave.

"_Is it always like that?"_ She sends to Bruce.

"_A necessary sacrifice." _The man replies. The two continue their tour of the City, visiting many of the sites where they had memorable battles or other events before growing hungry.


	4. Shadowcrest

_Jump City:_

"Let's see if Mario's is still there." Richard suggests as it dawns on him that the old pizza parlor is just a trip through an alley away.

"Actually, that sounds like a good idea." Raven admits and follows him, not having actually eaten anything since she left Wayne Manor. The thought is enough to distract her from noticing the presences of others in the dark alley.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" A deep voice says as Richard and Raven is suddenly surrounded by four thugs at the intersection between buildings, big men dressed like bikers, two of them with short-bladed knives, the speaker proves to be the largest of them, wearing a pair of sunglasses and a red bandana, something that the others mirror, the full beard of the leader looks out of place somehow. "A fangirl and her boy? Well, if you have to pass through here, you have to pay the toll." He says while eying Richard and brushing his thumb with the edge of his knife.

"_This will be fun."_ Shayera notes inside of Raven.

"Pay up and the girl won't get hurt, too much." He says as Raven suddenly has a blade pressed against her throat.

"Raven, would you mind?" Richard asks without taking his eyes off the leader.

"No." Raven replies flatly as she quickly grabs the wrist holding the knife and catapults the owner over her head, sending him crashing into one of his friends. The third man is quickly subdued as he tries to corner Richard.

"Damnit!" The leader growls as he tries to stab Raven in the gut with his knife, is effort is stopped just before the knife makes contact with her shirt. He looks down at it in surprise, spotting the black aura surrounding it before he is lifted off the ground by one hand, leaving most of his weight on Raven's lower arm. "Oh…hell!" He realizes it.

Raven just smirks at him before throwing him against the wall, knocking him out. "So much for peaceful visits." She sighs at Richard.

"Wasn't even a workout." Richard adds before dialing up the police. A few minutes later, two squad cars appear at the far end. "Think we better leave." He says as he sees the officers entering the alley.

"Agreed." Raven replies before teleporting them to an alley on the opposite side of the street.

"Guess they will know you are alive now?" Richard surmises as they exit the alley into the large street where the Titans first came together.

"Seems so." Raven shrugs, she knew it had been an eventuality. "Seems that pizza parlors are more resilient than super hero teams." She notes at their old pizza parlor that after eight years is still there.

"Let's hope he still makes them like he used to." Richard smirks before they cross the street, unheeding of the two police cars now parked at the other side. "Looks crowded." He notes at the mass of people going in and out of the front, along with the new line under the sign hanging over it:

Mario's Pizza

Preferred by the Teen Titans

"Seems like he is making something out of our absence." Raven notes as they enter, find the pizza parlor slightly crowded, something that puts Raven off a little.

"Too many?" Richard asks, knowing it's her empathy that's mainly causing her to halt a second, but it is also the fact she doesn't like having people within her 'personal sphere'. Unknown to either of them, both Richard and Bruce note down the need to find out why observing a crowd of people was different to Raven when compared to be standing in it.

"I can handle it." Raven replies flatly before lining up in one of the three queues. "Seems we are being honored." She notes at the menu, there were the usual selections named after either cities or ingredients, and a separate section with six pizzas's, each named after one of them and one large one simply named Titans. Predictably the Beastboy's Best is a vegetable only pizza, the Starfire Supreme has a generous amount of mustard on it and the Cyborg Special is a meat only. All three had frequently asked for those kinds, it took some time for old Mario to realize Starfire meant what she said when she only wanted mustard on hers. Fortunately the one named after her is fit for human consumption as well.

"The Red Robin?" Richard notes at the one named after him, one covered in pepperonis.

"_Not exactly a workout meal." _Bruce notes from the inside getting Raven to smile slightly, so far he is the only one who knows he doesn't have to be in the Council Chamber to use her senses, she just makes it so because it would feel a little weird to share senses for some people. _"I assume it was group pressure that had him order that one?"_

"_Funny, Richard was the first to order when we ever got here." _Raven replies back, getting a sigh out of the man. _"Relax, he punished himself in the gym for it when we got home."_

"_Ah, so that's why he's so distant."_ Diana adds, sounding more amused than annoyed that Bruce is not directing all his attention to her, while they are browsing the market square of Azerath._ "I hope those are not all grease?"_

"_I usually only have one slice." _Raven sends back.

"Rae, you're spacing out." Richard nudges her in the back as the queue moves forwards. "Internal debate?" He whispers.

"Just a certain man in black." Raven replies with a smirk. "Hmm, I think they were guessing." She notes at the one named after her, the Raven Special, with chili sauce and chicken, since she never ordered anything, only had what the others agreed on.

"Can I take your order ma'am?" A brown haired girl dressed the in work clothes of the place, a red cap with the parlor logo on it, a cream colored shirt with rolled up sleeves that seems too big for her, and a red apron beneath the shirt.

"Umm yeah, a Raven Special and…?" She says while turning to Richard.

"A Red Robin, please. I'm paying." He says as he moves up to stand besides Raven.

"Soda?" The girl asks.

"Cola?" Richard asks while looking at Raven, who gives him a nod. "Two cola's then."

"_How many hours did he spend in the gym?" _Bruce asks from the inside.

"_Bruce…" _Diana sighs.

"_Three, usually." _Raven replies.

"Ok, come 'on Rae." Richard says, noticing Raven had spaced out again. She follows him up to the 2nd floor and out onto the balcony, where they find their old table strangely unoccupied in the face of the lovely weather. "Seems too big without the others." Richard notes as they sit down.

"Doubt they are in a mood for pizza." Raven adds before it strikes her what they were actually doing and slowly grows the thousand yard stare, that Richard doesn't fail to notice.

"So what was the debate about?" He asks, directing her mind onto something else.

"Only that Bruce disapproves of our choice of food." Raven replies, getting a chuckle out of the man in front of her.

"Well I did make sure to sweat it all out again." He says with a smirk before turning serious. "So anything interesting in the complex?"

"Lot's." Raven sighs. "We found Mercy Graves and Deadshot, alive."

"But not unharmed?" Richard adds.

"Brains in jars, literally, but alive. But probably the most disturbing was that he had me next in line, even made a clone of me." She says, noticing the raising eye brows behind the sunglasses. "Powers and problems were in it, but it wasn't alive."

"What did you do about it?" He asks.

"Destroyed it and the machine that had created it." She replies flatly. "I had to, if it became conscious, it would still be without the mental training I have." He nods at this. "Sent everything I could to Barbara before wrecking the computers since Waller was on the other side of the door trying to get in. Also we found Nemesis, dead." Richard sighs at this.

"Seems this whole thing is a source of grief, he was a good man." He says. "Well, looks like our food is already here." He continues, completely switching mood in an instant as the waitress arrives with two pizzas on metal trays along with the utensils needed, wrapped in a napkin.

"Enjoy your meals." She says before half turning around before turning back. "Umm, just a word, there is a group of regulars that have been known to be a little rude if this table is taken." She says before hurrying off, leaving the two looking a bit surprised after her.

"Think she meant us?" Richard asks.

"Doubt it." Raven replies, this table had almost been reserved for them for four years; Beastboy and Cyborg were known for complaining a little loudly when they found it taken, something Raven had felt embarrassed about.

"Oh well, no point in worrying about something that most likely won't happen." He continues before rolling out the utensils and digs in, Raven shrugs and follows his example. They get through half and three quarters of their pizza's in silence before a ruckus is heard from down below along with a yelp.

"Here comes trouble." Raven whispers to herself as a group of six youths burst onto the balcony, four boys and three girls, all trying to look older and fiercer with their colored hair, leather clothes and numerous piercings, than their ages would suggest. Raven had tried to read enough books in the Titan living room while Starfire watched high school drama series to know what they are, the tough acting clique that made life a living hell for some other students. Obviously this group went to the same school and would most likely have been picked on by others if they were alone, but by their entrance, both Raven and Richard knows they are just as bad as any other group of bullies. The group immediately slows down, as they notice the two adopting a calm walk instead along with vicious smirks, this seems to be a routine for them as none of them speak.

"Well, well, well." The leader of the group, a tall kid with a regular build, black hair and sunglasses, says with a smirk. "What do we have here? An imitator and her looser boyfriend?" Both Rave and Richard decides to ignore them and just take another bite.

"_Imitator?"_ Shayera asks.

"_He insults you sister." _Diana adds, guessing the boy thinks Raven is a fake.

"_Keep ignoring them and the wise ones will go away."_ Batman continues.

"Hey, he's talking to you!" A short, frighteningly pale, girl with an almost shaved head snaps. What remains of her hair has been shaped into three purple colored spikes that add a heads height to hers. Along with the numerous piercings in both her nose and ears, she seems to be the most extreme of the group.

"You're in our seats. Beat it!" A big one with hair that stands upright adds.

"Don't see your names on them." Richard replies, having drifted into the mood he got into when people annoyed him.

"_Antagonizing them won't help."_ John adds as the pale girl leans in very close to Raven's face, far too close for most people's liking.

"What the hell? Of course they ain't on the seats; people aren't stupid enough to sit on them." The big one growls.

"You are annoying my friend's, I suggest you beat it." The leader continues, as the rest of the group crowds around the two.

"We aren't done." Richard continues.

"Is that so?" The leader asks before nodding at his friends who quickly grab the remains of the pizzas and drops Richards top first into his lap, while the spiked-haired girl smears Raven's pizza it into Raven's face. This shocks Richard more than the pizza in his lap.

"_Oh, shit!" _Wally swears.

"_Such insolence!" _Diana seethes as the group of kids begins laughing.

"Good one Tracy." Someone says as Raven tears the pizza off her face, Richard can see she is positively boiling on the inside. None of the punks actually registers the action before a sickening crunch is heard and they see the splash of blood next to Raven and the unconscious Tracy slumping to the ground with a few broken teeth and nose after her head was smashed into the table. Raven is quickly up from her seat with her eyes a blazing red. The group immediately shuts up and stares at her.

"Jesus Christ…" Someone swears.

"It's her…" One of the other females continues.

"RUN!" The leader yells before making for the door to the restaurant, which resolutely slams shut in his face.

"You're only going one place!" Raven growls before the five remaining punk are lifted into the air, suspended by her dark powers.

"Don't kill us!" The big one pleads.

"You're not worth the effort." Raven growls before the group is sent flying into the middle of the intersection where their clothes are violently ripped into tiny shreds, leaving the group completely naked in the center of one of Jump City's most crowded areas. The group quickly scatters to the four winds while trying to cover themselves while being followed by several cameras of tourists. "It's time we leave." Raven continues before Richard and herself disappears, leaving more than a few gaping tourists behind along with the unconscious Tracy.

_Later, Wayne Manor:_

_"All I am saying is that it could have ended a lot worse." _John mentions.

"_It should have." _Diana adds with a sour tone.

"_No, it was just."_ Batman shrugs.

"_She could have walked away."_ Superman continues.

"_Most people would not tolerate having that done to them."_ Shayera counters.

"_Considering the alternatives she could have used, they got off lightly." _J'onn mentions.

"Guys, I am trying to meditate, I need a little more quiet to do that." Raven mentions, as she is levitating in the evening air in the garden of Wayne Manor. After teleporting out of the midday Jump City, they arrived in Gotham's late afternoon. Richard quickly excused himself, in need of some sleep before tonight and knowing now was the time Raven wanted to be alone. After a quick shower, where she had forcibly shut off the vision of the others, Raven had settled herself, dressed in her cloak and leotard, under the tree she and J'onn had danced under.

"_I thought you didn't need to meditate anymore, after defeating the demon?" _Superman asks.

"I do, because my powers are still tied to my emotions. I just don't have to worry about going permanently out of control if I get angry. Also, it is not my style to go hit stuff when I need to calm down." She explains.

"_Not like there's much around here that could withstand it."_ Bruce mentions.

"Exactly. Now please, quiet down a little." Raven gets a good 30 minutes of meditation done where the ones inside of her can almost feel the tension inside of her fade away to nothing. Before she notes someone is behind her somewhere. "Time for you to go?" She asks, guessing he hadn't slept that much.

"Yeah, I was just checking up on you." He says as she stands up to see him standing at the garden door.

"I'm ok; I should be getting back to Fate anyways." She replies, noticing the shift in him at the mention. "What?"

"Got a call 30minutes go, something happened to Fate, but I said you would get there in time." He says, as Raven's eyes go a bit wider.

"_Zatanna…"_ Batman growls from the inside.

"I should have left 30 minutes ago." Raven sighs. "But thank you for the concern." She says before teleporting out.

"No problem Rae, you needed it." Richard sighs before heading inside again.

_Salem:_

"What happened?" Raven asks as she appears in Fate's tower, behind the group clustering around the fallen mage, who lies in a bed with his helmet gloves and shirt removed. If Raven didn't know better, she would have thought he had tried fighting a biker gang with nothing but his bare hands as he has marks after blunt hits and cuts in his skin.

"We aren't sure." Jason says. "He appeared 30 minutes ago in the kitchen and promptly passed out." Raven can tell he is worried, the android is as always unreadable but Inza, while calm on the surface, is radiating concern for her husband as she hold his hand while sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Move aside, I will try and mend what I can." Raven says as she sits down on the other side of the bed while summoning her healing powers, placing one blue glowing hand on him the others look on in interest and amazement as the bruises fade and the cuts close themselves. The doctor comes to just as she pulls away again, still looking like one waking up with a severe hangover.

"Thank…you." He manages.

"I know you are tired my friend, but what happened?" Jason asks.

"Zatanna…she was drunk…refused to give the books back, even when I explained the reason for it…Before I could do anything…she sent her mummy after me."

"_Her mom?" _Wally asks from the inside.

"_Hassan. One of Rames II's bodyguards."_ Batman mentions.

"_Oh, so century old dead guy kind of mummy."_ Wally continues, getting some sighs from the others.

"Any idea why she didn't want to hand them over?" Raven asks.

"I am not sure…she kept talking on about how close she was to finding her father…But I don't remember those books for a locator spell…she knows those by the dozens."

"_She's too far gone, we have to bring her in and have her cleaned out." _Batman sighs.

"_Agreed, she has too much power to be left in that kind of drunken state." _Superman adds. _"One slurred backwards word and she could destroy a city."_

"I'll get her and the books." Raven says. "I just need to know where Shadowcrest is."

"Going there alone is not a good idea." Jason mentions. "She already doesn't like you, and this is what happened to Fate."

"Means hostility is expected, nothing more." Raven shrugs, guessing Fate had been caught off guard because he was far more powerful than Zatanna is. But I will try and talk to her. Unless any of you want to go as well?"

"Appearing as a group will only make it worse." Amazo says.

"And Etrigan was warned the only time he was there, uninvited." Jason sighs.

"Ok, so how do I get there?" Raven asks lamenting the people present, she doesn't know about the androids motives, but she guesses Jason is still wearing gloves when it comes to Zatanna. "Was her jaw healed by the way?" She asks, suddenly realizing something.

"Yes…unfortunately." Fate says as he waves her closer as Inza hands him his helmet. "The way to Shadowcrest is known to you now." He says while his eyes glows and Raven suddenly knows where to go.

"I will be back later." She says before disappearing. The group is startled by a sudden knock on the door frame. Turning around they see a big man in a red suit with a yellow thunderbolt on his chest.

"Umm, hello? I was told I could find the one they call Raven here?" The big man asks.

_Shadowcrest:_

"Charming." Raven notes as she takes in the massive wooden mansion in front of her, it seems to be centuries old and is stubbornly refusing to acknowledge that it needs repairs as the structure seems almost squashed under its own weight. As it sits here in the clearing of a dead forest in the middle of the night, with the full moon above and mist covering the ground, Shadowcrest gives every impression of being a haunted house out of a movie. "Wonder if she is home?" Raven wonders as there is no light in any of the windows.

"_There are never any lights in any of the windows. And the interior is bigger than the exterior."_ Batman mentions.

"_Magic." _Superman grumbles.

"Well, I hope I can get in without ringing a jinxed doorbell." Raven sighs, before floating up to the front door. "Hopefully I won't seem aggressive if she knows I am coming."

"_Why am I reminded of a lion's den?" _Wally asks as Raven uses the handle to knock on the door.

"_A den is easier."_ Diana mentions.

"_You have animal empathy Diana, they would accept you on the spot."_ J'onn mentions.

"_Looks like your kind of place."_ Shayera mentions to Raven.

"Dark, damp, filled with knowledge no doubt, it is." Raven agrees before pushing the huge oak door open. "But Themyscira is nice too." She continues, silencing Diana before she can ask. "Is it supposed to look like this?" She asks, she knew enough about Zatanna to know the house wasn't in the style she preferred. According to what she knew from the Ether, Zatanna appreciated old, but it was well treated and cared for old.

"_Changes every time I've been here, Zatanna mentioned it has some kind of link with the owner. By the looks of it, it is her current state of mind." _Batman replies.

"_A bit conflicting tastes isn't it?" _Shayera continues as Raven takes in the lobby, that looks more abandoned than in actual use, with the cobwebs, moldy and untidy red rugs, green curtains and rotten looking woodwork.

"I think of it as having two lives really, outside of Themyscira I'm the scary witch from the dark places, which is true I guess. On Themyscira, I'm someone else, literally. A bit like how Superman handles it. Batman do you know where she is most likely to be?" She asks after giving up on locating the inhabitant empathically, something in the house was blocking her.

"_Her study, most likely. Second floor, left corridor."_ Raven nods at the instruction and flies up to the corridor and down the seemingly endless hallway, passing many closed doors on the way. Down the hall several doors are left open. What Raven doesn't notice, Batman does; _"LEFT!"_ He yells suddenly and Raven instinctively banks to the left, crashing into the wall as something sails right past her neck. She quickly regains herself and turns to face the assailant. _"Hassan, hostile magic won't work on him."_ Batman mentions as a tall figure emerges from the doorway, revealing it to be the mummy guardian. Wrapped in ancient bandages and wielding a curved singlehanded sword of copper, the walking corpse stares at Raven with his empty eye sockets before bringing his sword up and down in an overhead chop. The blade is arrested mere inches from its target as Raven claps her hands together around it, cutting her palms for doing so.

"Immune to magic and strong too." Raven growls as the blade is kept inches away from her face. "Any limitations?"

"_It's a 2500 year old corpse reanimated by magic."_ Batman mentions.

"None then." Raven says as she strains against the mummy, before twisting the blade aside, sending the mummy crashing down onto her while the sword carves its way into first the wall, then lodges itself in the floor. Finding the mummy quickly grabbing for her throat, Raven merges into the shadows before dropping down from the ceiling, landing on Hassan's back with a crunch. She is quickly thrown off as the mummy gets up, in no way impeded by the broken bones. The thing quickly retrieves its weapon and slashes at the air to get Raven to keep her distance as the point draws a red line over her mid section, much to the worry of several of the ones inside of her. "That hurt." Raven growls as she puts a hand on the wound, finding it to be only a minor inconvenience. Hassan speaks something in ancient Egyptian with his dry voice before charging with his sword raised, this time Raven is ready for him and arrests the attack by grabbing his wrists. "Stop, I don't want to hurt you." Raven says to the mummy's face in hope of it not being entirely brainless. "I just want to retrieve a few books."

"The Mistress does not want to be disturbed." Hassan replies before he tries to bite her. She responds by first pulling away and spreads his arm, then by using his arms for support, she jumps up and brings both her feet onto his right elbow, breaking the lower limb off as she lands on the ground with the sword making another hole in the floor over her head. While Hassan pulls away in surprise, leaving his sword in the floor, Raven rolls to the side before jumping into the air toward the mummy, bringing all of her strength to bear as she punches it straight in the face, sending her hand and arm through it's skull and out on the back side. Raven ends up staring at the now limp creature with her hand through its head.

"_Ew." _Flash manages before Hassan seems to crumble to dust, leaving only his sword stuck in the floor.

"What was, unexpected?" Raven adds.

"_All zombies fall over when shot in the head."_ John adds. _"You just used a very big bullet."_

"_And I thought it was only Old Yellow you watched."_ Shayera asks with a hint of amusement, getting a groan out of the man, he is never going to live down that it is favorite movie.

"_Are you injured?" _Diana asks Raven.

"Nothing serious." Raven replies as she heals, noting that down the corridor is what appears to be a closed door blocking her path. "Study is behind there?"

"_Yes."_ Batman replies flatly. Raven walks up to the door and presses her ear against the wood, hearing nothing from the other side except the crackling of fire. "_Usually there's a fireplace."_ Slowly Raven turns the doorknob and opens the door, revealing the room beyond and the smell. The room is big enough for two windows to cover one wall, while bookcases covers the rest, except for the fireplace mentioned. Like the rest of the house, the floor is covered in a moldy red rug and many books and bottles tossed carelessly aside, the largest amounts are clustered around the single desk in the corner with its back towards the windows and the fireplace and the opposite corner, where the bottles are all smashed. Amidst the mess at the desk, lies Zatanna fast asleep over a book with a bottle of liquor in one hand.

"_Hera."_ Diana says quite surprised at the state of the former Leaguer.

"_I'm surprised she isn't dead if she's been drinking all of that."_ John adds noting the volume of empty bottles.

"Hopefully they weren't all full." Raven sighs before walking over to the desk before knocking firmly three times on it. "Zatanna, wake up!" She says loudly, getting a snort out of the woman before she wakes up bleary eyed, picking her head off the book with one page sticking to her left cheek before gravity tells it to let go as Zatanna slumps back into her seat, revealing her white shirt to be soiled brown.

"I…thought I told you…to beat it!" She says while her eyes keep trying to focus on the person in front of her.

"I am not Dr. Fate." Raven replies flatly while crossing her arms in front of her.

"Hassan, get rid of him." Zatanna sighs.

"Hassan is not getting up." Raven continues. "Where are Dr. Fate's books?" Zatanna seems to ignore her, favoring the bottle in her hand instead, Raven sighs as the sorceress tries to take swing of it, finding it blocked by a black bubble.

"Hey, stop that." Zatanna complains weakly to the bottle that is cheating her of its contents.

"Zatanna! Where are the books?!" Raven demands by slamming her fist into the table, making an impression after her knuckles in it and knocks over several bottles, this finally seems to bring Zatanna's attention onto Raven.

"Wha? Who?...YOU!" She screeches before hurling the bottle at Raven who suspends it the air between them before getting tackled to the ground by Zatanna who, jumps over the desk and quickly punches Raven in the face. "I HATE YOU! YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!" Zatanna screams as she keeps punching, landing several hits.

"_Fight back Sister!"_ Diana pleads from within.

"_Bruce this is the part where you say something to her, or she will be injured."_ Raven sends inwards.

"_She's drunk and angry, she won't stop."_ Bruce replies coldly, barely recognizing the crazed woman punching Raven.

"Get off!" Raven growls before Zatanna is sent flying into the air by a bolt of black magic, leaving her to crash into the windows, that crack but doesn't break.

"lebaT ylf!" Zatanna replies as she struggles to get off the floor, the desk smashes into Raven as she is getting up as well, squashing her between it and a bookcase. Regaining her senses, Raven lets her powers seep into the desk before blasting it apart in a shower of splinters. Zatanna shrieks as she feels the magical backlash as her magic was still inside of it.

"What the bloody hell is going on in here?!" A British sounding voice suddenly exclaims as a dirty blond haired man in a sand colored trench coat appears in the doorway with a bottle of whiskey in one hand. "Who are you?!" He says as he notices Raven.

"I could ask you the same?" Raven growls.

"oG ot lleh nevaR!" Zatanna shouts and Raven vanishes in a puff of smoke. "There, back where you belong." She sighs as she falls back onto the ground.

"Hey Zee, who was that?" The man says as he stumbles over to Zatanna, just as drunk as her.

"Bloody demon." Zatanna says before grabbing the bottle out of his hand and takes a deep mouthful.

"I'll say, you sent her to hell." A sudden sound of ripping cloth makes him turn around, seeing a hole appear in the middle of the room, like the world in front of them is painted on a canvas, a hand comes through and rips open a rift before the woman from before walks out before the hole closes again.

"That was unnecessary." Raven growls at the seething Zatanna who is about to say something, but a large book is lifted off the ground next to her and is slammed across her face, knocking her out.

"Hey, what was that for?!" The man complains. "Who the hell are you anyways?!" Raven quickly has him suspended upside down against the windows.

"No, who the hell are you?!" She snaps as she draws close to him as another bottle falls out of his inner pocket and smashes against the floor.

"_John Constantine."_ Batman growls, obviously harboring some dislike for the man. _"One of Zatanna's less likeable friends."_

"I'm John Constantine you asshole!" The man growls. "Now tell me who the hell you are so I know what to put on your tombstone!"

"Right." Raven shrugs before dropping him on his head, knocking him out as well.

"_He's quite good at banished demons." _John mentions, having met the man before. _"But he has a drinking problem…not to mention he is an unlikable con-man."_

"I gathered, let's get out of here." Raven shrugs as she forms a large portal that swallows every book and person in the room before disappearing.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Sorry for the delay in uploads, but I had some more important stuff to take care off...final exam. And for all you comic connoisseur's out there, my apologies if this Constantine is not like his Hellblazer-self (not that I can pretend I can write on that level), if you will; I am mostly drawing off an image of him from the 90'ties Spectre series where he was too drunk to help out the Phantom Stranger and Dr. Fate (it was actually so bad the Stranger didn't want Fate to sober him up for it).


	5. Meeting the Wizard

_Salem, Tower of Fate:_

"I take it she, didn't want to hand them over?" Jason asks as Raven reappears in the study where they had been reading, along with two bodies and a huge stack of books that clatter to the ground around her. "Constantine?" He asks at the sight of the Brit.

"Zatanna's drinking buddy apparently." Raven sighs, as Fate glides into view followed by Inza and Amazo. "I hope your books are in that pile somewhere?" She says to Fate.

"With Zatanna out, we can go investigate Shadowcrest more safely if not. I have prepared a suitable containment for her." The mage replies.

"The kind I was in?" Raven asks, wondering how Zatanna was going to act when she woke up.

"Yes, only that there is a bed is inside this one." Fate replies. "If you would put Mr. Constantine in a separate room." Fate says to the android, which blurs out of sight with the two.

"Are you wounded?" Inza asks.

"What? Oh no, that's nothing." Raven replies first in confusion before she has the tear in her leotard seal up.

"Ah, you must be Raven?" A deep voice says from behind Fate that has Raven look up in surprise.

"Ah yes, while you were away, this gentleman came looking for you." Fate says as he steps aside revealing Captain Marvel.

"_Captain Marvel?"_ Superman asks in surprise.

"Oh, and what can I do for you?" Raven asks equally mystified why he would seek her out.

"I am on an errant of asking you to accompany me to see the Wizard. Hmm, I can see now why he finds you interesting." He says as he rubs his cheek.

"You have the soul of a child?" Raven counters as the size of the man doesn't seem to match the size of his soul.

"_Billy Batson, 13 years old when he is not transformed." _Batman says from within.

"That is correct, and fear not Superman, Metropolis is in good hands, even in my absence." Marvel says, startling the Leaguers. "This is request from the Wizard, since he learned of your predicament."

"And why would I want to meet with this Wizard?" Raven asks, somewhat annoyed at being treated like some exhibit to be shipped around for study.

"The Wizard Shazam, is probably the most powerful mage of any dimension, he may be able to help us." Fate mentions. "In return for a favor, that is."

"_Magic always has a price."_ Bruce sighs.

"One does not grow to the Wizards age by handing out gifts freely, will you accompany me?" Marvel asks.

"Fine, but I let you know that returning the founders to their bodies has my first priority, not entertain an old man." Raven warns him.

"Of course and I would not summon you without due cause or without the chance of aiding them." Captain Marvel speaks with the voice of an old man, which surprises the group. "Sorry, he is practically omniscient but prefers only speaking through me when he has to."

"If he's omniscient, it means he can hear and see me now, why do I need to visit?" Raven asks.

"Quite simple, since he can see everything, it's all just very, very small, to him. But he may have other reasons." Marvel says with a smirk. "Shall we begin our journey?"

"Sure. I will be back later." Raven sighs before following him out.

"_You sound uncomfortable about this meeting?" _Diana asks.

"_I'm uncomfortable about the numerous, very powerful entities that seem to find me interesting all of a sudden."_ Raven sends back.

"_Stage fright." _John mentions.

"_You can call it that." _Raven continues. _"But I am worried about when some of the fiends below begin to notice this as well."_

"_You will resist them if they do, like you did Ares."_ Diana mentions.

"_It was only because of you I could." _Raven sends back.

_The Watchtower:_

"Guess you found the others." Cyborg notes dryly at the group of people standing outside the station morgue. All of them are looking grim and covered in dirt, like Cyborg, Beastboy and Starfire is.

"Unfortunately, yeah." Kid Flash sighs. "They were all exactly where Raven said they would be."

"Dr. Mid-Night and Atom is working on Wildebeest now." Jinx says as she sits curled up against the wall next to Kid Flash. The rest of the group consists of Jericho, Aqualad, Speedy, Bushido and Red Star.

"Comrades are those…?" Red Star asks as voices the question they all had when they noticed the bags on the trolleys the three founding Titans are pushing in front of them, the Swiss authorities took care of the monks.

"It is." Starfire confirms with an almost shattered voice as the three enter the morgue to deposit the bodies before coming back out. Starfire was the one that had found Melvin, still hugging her teddy bear.

"Cy, who hit us? They must have known where to find them." Aqualad asks. "And it must have been the same guy; everyone was buried under tons of dirt."

"Terra did…" Beastboy says with a defeated tone.

"What?" Jinx asks in surprise.

"It was an inside job." A deeper voice says from behind the group. "Terra was promised Marakovia for her efforts; Luthor hacked our old communicators and had her track down the others." Jinx stares wide eyed at Batman walks down the corridor.

"That's not Raven." She states.

"Nightwing." Cyborg greets with a nod. "What do we do about this?"

"Terra is in custody, evidence of her actions will be uncovered and she will be put away for a very long time." Batman replies in a tone that lets the others know he doesn't like it either. "I have asked a psychiatrist to come up here and evaluate her, if she is as unstable as I think she is, Arkham will be her new home."

"She is up here?" Bushido asks, getting a nod from Batman.

"I trust you all know why we can't act on this." He says. "Bushido, I know you feel your honor has been stained, but it was not Terra who did that part."

"But what of the honor of the Titans?" The samurai asks.

"It will be a stain on that honor if any of us act on this. We can only mourn our friends…"

"Damn it Rob! How can you be so stone cold about this?!" Jinx shouts. "They were your friends too!"

"Jinx, there's nothing I'd want more right now than to strangle Terra with my bare hands for what she did. But it won't bring any of them back and it will only lower me to her level, and believe me, I know enough psychos to know that may be a part of what she wants."

"I could do it." Jinx suggests, getting everyone to stare at her. "It's not like I don't know the inside of a prison."

"Jinx, you are better than Terra, always has been since the Brotherhood. Don't return to that path, it's not worth it. Those in there would not want you to do it." Batman says while thumbing at the morgue.

_Elsewhere:_

"Is there a reason why we don't just teleport up there?" Raven asks as the two fly through a tunnel of bright, warm lights.

"Well, it's a bit hard to explain fully, but think of the Rock of Eternity as an object that moves between dimension constantly, occupying the same space in each. If you imagine a dimension as a flat disk, the Rock will occupy a certain spot in that dimension. Above and below this dimensional disk there will be other similar disk's where the Rock will occupy the same area in those, forming a straight line as it moves between them." Marvel explains. "Bit like an interdimensional elevator really."

"_So if it has a set distance from Oa in ours, it will have the same in another dimension?"_ John asks.

"Exactly, it always holds the same spot compared to the center, thought he center may have been turned slightly when compared to the Rock." Marvel continues.

"So it sits on a multi-universal nexus." Raven surmises.

"Actually it sits on the only multiversal nexus that includes all others." Marvel continues. "I think you have noticed its presence before, have you not?"

"I may have, thought I never knew what it was." Raven admits. "It's like a compass when I teleport?" She ask and gets a nod.

"I works like that for those who can move between dimensions by magical means." Marvel replies. "As the Wizard told me, it is because the Rock of Eternity is also magical focal point where all magical power flows through, he even mentioned if someone was to float on the magical currents, they would eventually come to the Rock."

"_So does this mean that there are more universe's out there?"_ Flash asks the question that had been bugging him.

"Indeed, there are quite many and many versions of ourselves out there." Marvel admits. "But not all of them are like us. The Wizard once told me that the universe I inhabited was merged with yours, but I do not remember any of it, such merges happens once in a while and no one but the Wizard notices, oh and a few others who keep their eyes peeled for such things. I believe your friend Donna Troy is a good example of this works."

"_Oh, how come?"_ Diana asks genuinely surprised that Donna was known to the Wizard and Marvel.

"Her story is long and muddled, in one as you know she was brought to Themyscira as a child after being orphaned by a fire and saved by Wonder Woman. In another, Donna was created by Magala from Diana's mirror image so that the young Princess should not grow up without knowing another child, unfortunately others affected the spell and Donna was lost in time before reappearing as a child of 10 when Diana had grown to adulthood. It is like this and believe me, most people are best left unknowing about these things. But I think, one day, Donna will be a unique individual in the Multiverse, at least the Wizard thinks so."

"_But not in what way?" _Diana continues while wondering why Donna was so special in the eyes of the Wizard, since it was clear to her it had nothing to do with her being an Amazon or her association with herself.

"Nothing he has wished to explain." Marvel shrugs. "He's like that and sometimes he says and does things that don't seem to have any reason…maybe he only told me because I would one day tell you?" He suggest.

"_I have to agree, it might be an uncomfortable and dangerous knowledge to share with the wider world." _J'onn says as the Founders are reminded about how complicated everything quickly became when they had to explain the Justice Lords.

"Ah there it is." Marvel says as the tunnel seems to open up into a huge open cave composed of lights as a huge diamond shaped structure made of grey rock appears before them, a solid object appearing in a storm of colors and lightning. "The Rock of Eternity."

The Rock is indeed made of stone, but it seems to be made of thousands of smaller pieces, forming two huge cones with the pointed ends forming the peak and bottom of it, giving it it's diamond shape.

"Impressive." Raven notes as she sees it with her mystic sense rather than her eyes before they land on the Rock in front of a small cave entrance before the two walk inside. Raven notes the tunnel looks just like any other she's been in with her normal sight, but that everyone inside of her, including the Azerathians, are paying close attention to what is going on. To her mystic senses however the tunnel is like a continuous stream of magical power that's almost blinding her. Raven becomes more interested when they pass seven statues, all with a name on a plate at their feet and somehow matching appearances to the name.

"The Seven Deadly Sins that foolish Pandora in ancient times unleashed upon the world." An old man's voice says as Marvel moves aside, letting Raven seen the owner as they have reached the end of the tunnel, culminating in a tiny cave. The speaker is a white ghost of a balding man with a long white beard that reaches his knees as he is standing in front of a seat carved in the rock with several scrolls standing to either side of it, resting against the wall. "As you have guessed, I am the Wizard Shazam."

"But you're…" Raven notes as she can see right through him.

"Only in body, child of Trigon. A prophesized piece of rock ruined my physical body, but I had outgrown its use by then. But how about you? Do not hide yourself from me." He says before his eyes glow yellow for a second, Raven doesn't have a chance to reply or resist before the transformation begins. As she stumbles to the ground under the influence, inside her mind the world quakes as Raven is forcibly transformed into her demon guise. But the pain she feels doesn't stop after her human features are gone, in fact, it seems to increase drastically. Her skull feels like it is about to crack as something seems to push its way through the bone and skin. It feels as if someone just carved two very long vertical slashes down her back and then poured acid into the wounds. At this point Raven simply passes out from the pain with a silent scream playing across her face.

"Umm, was that really necessary?" Marvel asks as the Wizard sits down as if he had done nothing.

"It was unexpected; I will wait till she awakens. You may go Billy." The Wizard replies absentmindedly, otherwise ignoring the unconscious body on the ground as it continues to twist and transform, Marvel sighs at him.

"Shazam!" He yells as a bolt of lightning strikes him, transforming the big man into the boy named Billy Batson. "She seems nice enough." He says before walking out one of the doors besides the throne.


	6. Shape of a Demon Queen

Inside Raven's mind, everything is I chaos, with the quake having wrecked much of Azerath, including burying much of the council chamber in rubble that made up the roof.

"Ok, that wasn't my fault!"Flash exclaims as the Leaguers walk out of the rubble, phasing through the rocks like ghosts.

"I think we all know who's responsible." Shayera growls having had a short lived panic attack when the roof came down on them.

"Yeah, but what did he do?" John asks.

"Arella?" Batman asks as the ghost of the woman phases through the blocked doorway.

"Oh no…what has he done?" The woman gasps as she catches sighs of one of the council members, the others just stare wide eyed at it. They can't tell which one it is, but it still bears resemblance to Raven's demonic form they knew as it slumps in its seat with a large piece of rock covering its legs and arms with its hood having fallen back, revealing the usual four eyes who are now closed and the red skin. What the group is shocked about is the long forked tongue hanging motionlessly out of its mouth, the towering black horns rising above her head rising out of her head over her eyes near her hairline and the pair of batwings that is being squashed between her back and the seat. "By Azar."

"Find Hope!" Batman shouts and the League rush out to locate the closest emotion. It doesn't take them long as J'onn quickly locates the disturbed thoughts coming from the square with the statues, where they soon arrive to find Hemon and a large crowd of people standing around a fallen shape.

"I…I have never seen her like this." Hemon mentions as the crowd parts to let the League land and see.

Hope is lying face down on the ground before the statue of Azar, she is also sporting the horns and the wings that would span more than twice her height if they were stretched, but now lie motionless in a broken fashion like the rest of her. What the League couldn't see on the council member is now made clear; from her neck and down her spine onto the tail that has pushed its way through her leotard, a row of barbed bones has pushed through her skin in two rows ending in a solid spike of bone at the tip of the tail. The final change is her legs that have been distorted, resembling those of the hindquarters of a beast with large bone claws on its toes.

"I take it this is something more than just shape shifting?" Flash asks himself out loud.

"She never changes shape in here." A woman says as deep boom is heard over the city, followed shortly by another. "Is that..?"

"The gate to Rage's realm; the demon must have gotten loose!" Hemon exclaims. "It won't hold it long." The League is already taking off for the gate, knowing that Raven's demon half must be contained. They meet Arella there; watching the shaking gate at the foot of the council chambers.

"You should step back." Batman says, knowing that while she was already dead, he was almost sure the demon could still inflict harm on them all.

"It's not alone." Arella says without moving. "You will need me; I might be able to stay it." She says as the pounding suddenly stops.

"Mother?! Is that you?" A muted voice asks from the other side of the door.

"I shall not be tricked by another demon!" Arella yells back.

"You wound me, it is I; Anger, I only wish to speak." The voice says.

"Anger and Hatred is on the other side." J'onn mentions. "But so it the demon."

"Because you needed the proof that it has not broken free and wearing my face again." The voice says. "The Martian can tell where we are, we will back away and let you see for yourselves." The voice continues.

"They are backing away." J'onn confirms. "How fast are they?"

"Speed of thought." Arella replies. "But I don't understand; if it wanted entry into Azerath, it could have gone around the back?"

"I wish only to speak to you freely without a barrier; I cannot move my other half in the council." The voice says even more muted because of the distance.

"I cannot sense any hostility from them." J'onn mentions.

"I will go in, in case it proves false." Arella says as she moves towards the door.

"You could be lost." Shayera says.

"I have the best chance, I am her mother." Arella says before phasing through the door. "Where are you child?" Arella asks as she forms what seems to be a glowing yellow hole that seems to suck matter into itself, but illuminates the tunnel.

"Here mother." The voice says, sounding strangely slurred. Arella directs her light to the location of the speaker, spotting three similar looking demons, two with a black and a red cloak respectively and one on its knees in front of them. All three look as if they are losing balance, their tongues all hang out of their mouths' and the wings bat against each other and the tunnel wall that is only just tall enough for the added height. "What happened to us?" The red cloaked one asks without pulling its tongue in.

"I would ask you the same. Why are you three not knocked out like Hope and the others?" Arealla asks.

"We must be more used to the transformation, but never anything this…extreme." The red cloaked one says.

"We don't like it!" The black cloaked one continues.

"You never transformed like this before?" Batman's voice suddenly mentions as he phases through the door as well.

"We can hardly stand!" The black cloaked one snarls and ends up drooling.

"She has already bitten her…ow!" The red cloaked one turns away and holds a hand up to cover her mouth.

"Raven is going to be either furious or she will despair when she wakes up." Arella mentions to Batman who grunts in agreement.

Raven awakens groggily with swimming vision, an aching body and the taste of dirt in her mouth along with the sense that she is feeling very weird in some places.

"Ah good, you awaken. I trust you are feeling more at ease now than you were before?" A voice asks, Raven looks up at the voice, seeing only a white blob on a brown background. It dimly filters into Raven's mind that she dragged her tongue over the floor while lifting her head, without being aware of it she tries pulling it back in, only managing to get it halfway inside. "Hmm, I seem we may need to talk in demonic with that." The figure notes.

"Wa…wat appened?" She asks, finding it difficult to speak.

"I only returned you to your natural state." The blob replies.

"_Raven, snap out of it, look what he's done to you!"_ Raven snaps to attention at Diana's voice, before looking down at herself, spotting her legs, one wing and the tail. Inside her head, a scream of terror is heard by all, as Raven stumbles to her feet a few times before storming off in sheer panic, tripping several times along the way.

"Hmm, that was unexpected. Billy, would you bring her back?" Shazam asks without looking overly bothered as his name is yelled somewhere and a red blur storms past him a second later.

"_Raven stop!" _Batman commands but Raven doesn't hear him as the newly grown horns scrape against the low ceiling at the entrance of the cave before she storms outside and over the edge. _"Pull yourself together!"_ Batman continues as she tumbles through the air, the spinning world and the sensory overload is too much for her to form any thought at all, least of all to use her powers or flap her wings.

"Easy, I got you." Marvel says as he grabs hold of her cloak before getting an arm around her midsection and begins rising again with Raven struggling to get free. "Calm down, I'm here to help." He continues without looking at her, knowing the horns could end up in his eye. His only reply is a howl from Raven, sounding more terrified than fearsome. Marvel puts her down on the ledge outside the cave, much to his surprise; she struggles even harder to get free with solid ground under her feet. "Ea…" He tries again but gets an arm in his head along with a wing, which makes him let go in surprise. Raven again tries to storm off the opposite ledge again, but stumbles and almost ends with dipping her tongue into the small pool to the right of the cave entrance. The still waters cast an almost perfect mirror image of the looker, and Raven freezes on the spot as she looks at herself. Behind her Marvel takes it as a good sign that she has stopped moving and decides not to jump on her, while noting he had to be more careful, the blow he took actually hurt him.

"You are frightened; an unexpected response." The Wizards voice makes them both look around to see the ghost drift out of the cave, Raven look back into the pool for some kind of confirmation before struggling to get up. Neither of the two see her eyes go from yellow to a blazing red before she gets up and turns around. "You seem upset?" The Wizard notes without a hint of concern in his voice as something strange happens, Raven opens her mouth to say something but a small orange glow appears within her throat.

"Get down!" Marvel yell as he dives in front of the ball of fire that tumbles from Ravens throat, she seems surprised as well as she quickly closes her mouth as much as she can, biting her tongue again. Leaving Captain Marvel with blackened skin and a burnt costume, he stares at her in surprise for a second before collapsing on his back, leaving nothing between Raven and the Wizard, who now seems to regard her slightly wearily.

"Wat...ave..u..one..o..E?!" Raven manages without biting herself.

"I only changed you into your natural form." The wizard replies, it's not an everyday event that his champion is taken off guard and knocked flat.

"Ange…e…ack!" Raven demands, as she takes an ungainly step forwards.

"You realize this should be natural to you?" The Wizard says; Raven hisses and spits on the ground before she charges him, grabbing hold of his robe and slams him against the wall, easily cracking parts of it.

"O..IT!" Raven shouts as the glow again appears in her throat, with her anger awoken fully, her telekinetic powers are beginning to crawl away from her and begins ripping out pieces of the Rock.

"Very well." Shazam says before his eyes glow again. Raven immediately let's go of him and falls to the ground as the newly grown body parts are absorbed back into her body and her human guise is returned, leaving her heaving for air on the ground before the Wizard.

"Don't…ever…do…that again." Raven manages without looking up.

"Hmm, I shall wait inside." The Wizard replies without a hint of concern before floating inside, leaving both Raven and Marvel on the ground.

"_Raven?"_ Batman asks.

"_I'm here."_ Raven sends back as she tries to calm her breathing.

"_What happened?" _He continues.

"_I…I panicked…" _Raven admits.

"_One of your nightmares?" _Diana asks with a more concerned tone.

"_Yes…I'm scared of the monster inside of me...the monster I could turn into…I-I thought it was permanent…" _Raven sends.

"_Good, it means your guard is up against it." _Batman says firmly. _"But you have to face this again, your reaction was unacceptable."_

"_Bruce…" _Diana says, knowing he was about to lecture her.

"_No! She has to do this, look at every angle and every possibility so the event of it happening won't have her run off a building!"_ Bruce cuts her off. _"She has to know how far this goes so it doesn't surprise her again. Because it can."_ He continues in a slightly softer tone, knowing he had snapped.

"_He is right; I endangered you all by panicking."_ Raven sighs._ "I just didn't know I could go beyond what you had already seen."_

"_Did you ever try?"_ Batman's question remains unanswered for a few seconds; it is enough for him to know she hadn't.

"_I never wanted to look even worse…" _She sighs.

"_Hey, don't worry too much about it; I remember Shayera nearly hyperventilated when she somehow got her head into her pillow cover…OW!" _Flash adds before receiving a knock on his head.

"_I told you not to tell anyone about that!" _The winged woman growls hating being reminded of her claustrophobia that she thought was embarrassing.

"_Raven, if you are ok, can you check up on Marvel?"_ Superman asks, on the outside Raven nods with closed eyes before rolling over and getting up, still feeling light-headed. Opening her eyes she makes her way over to the fallen man, noticing that the skin under his costume is already healed.

"He's out cold, but fine." Raven says flatly. "I don't know about you, but I am really not in the mood for a talk with this guy anymore."

"_I would go in and punch him for it."_ Shayera mentions. _"I mean; what kind of person starts off a meeting with transforming the other into something else?"_ She explains as some of the Azerathians around her looks at her strangely.

"_I think most of would." _John adds.

"_I would implore you to remember your teachings this time." _Hemon says. _"Diplomacy comes first and now that he has wronged you, perhaps you can bargain with him for the knowledge you seek."_ Raven can almost see him smirking at the last part.

"All right." Raven sighs, knowing the old man was right and he had the level head now. "So let's go see if he decides to turn me into a frog this time?" She says before levitating Marvel off the ground and walking inside with him floating after her, finding the wizard seated in his chair.

"Ah, you choose to return."

"The voices in my head told me it might be wise, though I personally want to be far away from you after that stunt." Raven says venomously as she stops before him and let's Marvel drift off to the side and puts him down on the ground, while parts of herself is trying to put a lid on herself; while she was justifiably upset, it wouldn't help anything or anyone if Shazam was angered as well. "What is the point of this meeting?"

"Merely to finally sate my curiosity about what one such as you are doing outside your realm, and in wonder how you managed to trap all those souls within yourself?" The wizard says as he leans forwards in his seat, while Raven nods, knowing where he was going, which annoyed her.

"One; I am half demon, and if it held a safety guarantee, I would prefer to be only human. Two the souls are not trapped, they are there under their free will. Ask them if you don't believe me." Raven states without taking her eyes off the ghost, mentally ready herself to depart if he decided to return her to the Eight Pit, since he apparently only saw her as Trigon's daughter and a notable figure from the Pit, now that she remembers it. Then it hits her that he might actually only see her as the ruler of the Eight Pit, his interest in her is suddenly validated.

"Hmm, I see your words hold merit and that the souls seem displeased with my actions." Shazam says after a few seconds as he combs his beard with his fingers, somehow hinting that the souls of the Founders and Azerath wasn't the only thing he was seeing.

"Which I want to know your reasons for doing?" Raven continues.

"Like I said I wished merely to speak to you without false pretenses, I do not hide what I am and I appreciate honesty when dealing with those of the Nether Realms."

"Do all your visitors get turned into monsters then?" Raven grumbles, not satisfied with the answer.

"Of course not. I may have been presuming too much, I believed you were like the others you see." The wizard replies and Raven gets the impression that she was actually close to crossing the line of what he would tolerate.

"Others?" She asks. "What others?"

"Hybrids in general, but more specifically; the other versions of you, come, see for yourself." He says as he gets up, Raven follows him back out to the small pool, where the wizard holds out his hand, willing the pool's image to change. "If your dimension could be called 1, this one would be 16 above." He says as the image turns into that of a blasted wasteland, with a single figure walking amongst the ruins of a city. "This is the world another of you created after the defeat of her father, after losing to the evil within her. Names differ, places change, and things may have happened here that never happened in your dimension but in essence they are the same." The image shifts to a normal city with a darkened sky, before the image focuses on a group of people standing on a roof. When the image settles, the group is revealed to be, Raven dressed completely in black along with her hair. Batman stands at the front, and he has two pistols in his belt. Beastboy is green shaggy brute wearing only a pair of trunks. Cassandra and Conner are also there, wearing adaptations of Diana's and Clarks' costumes respectively. "78 below, this group is known as the Terror Titans by the Resistance fighting them, together they dominate the American continent. The Batman that you see is this dimensions Tim Drake, having lost both his mentor and his older brother; he then took up the gun that killed Bruce Wayne's parents in order to bring justice to his world. Kon-El accepted a truth he initially wouldn't believe, but he couldn't deny his heritage. And Cassandra Sandsmark may be called Wonder Woman here, Princess, but here she is the Champion of Ares." Shazam says, already knowing the Founders questions.

"What am I doing there? And what happened to the rest of the League?" Raven asks, thinking something must have happened to Diana and Superman for Conner and Cassandra to have taken up their names and titles.

"This version of you embraced her father and he has left that world alone, for now. It is because of her America lives in emotional numbness as she drains the emotions from an entire continent. The remains of the League here were killed by the Titans when they attempted to stop them."

"So you expected me to have embraced my other half?" Raven interrupts, the last thing she wanted to know was that her other-dimensional had lead the League to their graves.

"Yes, there are only very few of your kind that have not been able to overcome the influence of your father." Shazam says as he looks at her with an almost sorry expression in his eyes.

"Who have?" Raven asks flatly.

"Unfortunately, there is only one other left alive now that I remember." Shazam sighs as the image shifts to seeing a padded cell where a dark haired girl sits in a straitjacket while giggling to herself. "An unfortunate encounter with the Joker and the Scarecrow of her world left her like this. She had no knowledge of having any powers or her heritage before this happened to her, time will tell if they manifest."

"Why her then?" Raven asks while trying to banish any thought of compassion to her other self.

"None, she was caught in a gas attack in a shopping mall; she only got the tiniest doze of the gas that claimed over a hundred lives. Others versions of you were claimed in similar tragic manners, living normal lives before random incidents claimed them, some lived like you and were lost in the line of duty. And a few were forced to their destinies, yet did not have your fortunes in friends." Raven sighs as he finishes.

"_That's terrible."_ Diana admits. _"Is it the same for some of us?"_

"Indeed." Shazam admits. "But it may be reversed in your case, so few of you have fallen to evil in comparison to those of you who stand true against it."

"Mean's I am freak, even in comparison to myself." Raven shrugs, though deep down in her own Bravery was cheering.

"_Means you have even more reason to be proud of yourself."_ Shayera adds.

"Yeah, guess you are right, unless I one day fall." Raven admits.

"_You won't." _Batman adds firmly.

"Maybe not, but promise me one thing. Don't let me fall; I'd rather die than let Trigon win."

"_I'm sure Bruce has something cooked up already."_ Superman mentions, knowing the Caped Crusader already has enough kryptonite stashed away to make a glowing suit if needed, which is far more than the single piece he gave him.

"Good." Raven says firmly, letting a sad tone enter her voice. "But I still want to know why you forced me to transform into that…thing?" She continues as she looks up at Shazam. "And you owe me a new pair of boots."

"Forgive me I thought you knew your true form and the abilities you inherited from…him." The Wizard says.

"I never transformed beyond this." Raven says as she turns into the usual demonic shape before turning back again. "And Trigon never had wings or a tail."

"As I believe you already know, the offspring of demons only bear specific similarities to their parents while having their own unique characteristics. While I know what powers you truly possess, it must be you who discovers them."

"Wonderful and I'll sound like an imbecile with that tongue." Raven sighs. "Look, I don't like that you did that and I only really came here in hopes that you would be able to help me and League."

"I know. But as you may know, magic always has a price. My carelessness will grant you your footwear back, but a bargain for such a spell I will require you to perform a task for me." Shazam says. "And I am afraid the wearer of Nabu's helmet will not find what you seek in his books." Raven narrows her eyes at him, knowing she has pretty much been cornered, if he is telling the truth.

"What do you want?" She asks flatly.

"Observe." Shazam says as he again orders the pool into action, showing the image of a powerfully built man with Arabic features and pointed ears. "Teth-Adam, better known today as Black Adam. Once my champion, who disgraced himself while wielding the powers I bestowed on him. Though I removed my blessings, his gods soon restored them, seeing him as the perfect champion for them. He has been my opponent and Captain Marvel's for many years now. He is your target." The wizard says.

"You want him beat?" Raven asks, wondering how she is supposed to manage that, she already knew Captain Marvel is a magical-based Superman and Black Adam appears to be very much of the same calibre.

"On the contrary, I want him rescued." Shazam replies.

"Come again?" Raven asks as she looks surprised at the request.

"Recently Black Adam was captured by a group of mostly addled scientists, they hope to be able to control him or duplicate him. That cannot be allowed to happen. One Teth-Adam is quite enough. Bring him here and I will grant you the knowledge of the spell you seek."

"_Any of you know this one?"_ Raven sends inwards.

"_Black Adam is a monster._" Batman says. _"He has Captain Marvel's powers, but has nothing but contempt for any who opposes him often resulting him in killing the offenders on the spot. Atom Smasher still maintains a friendship with him and claims Adam only does what he does out of his own sense of justice, an eye for an eye, usually."_

"I put no claim to his condition when you bring him here, only that you do." Shazam mentions. "And that you must accomplish the rescue alone, not counting the ones inside of you."

"Hmm, wouldn't want it to be too easy." Raven sighs, this was just becoming better and better by the minute. "Where is he being kept?"

"A small island off the coast of China, called Oolong. The island, and its population, is under the control of a woman named…" Shazam says as the pool shifts between images of a complex on a tropical island and finally a woman's face

"_Veronica Cale?"_ Diana asks in surprise as she recognizes her before Shazam can speak the name.

"Quite, she leads the aptly named Science Squad, the group of crazed men who subdued Adam through science." Shazam continues.

"I guess, I must have a chance against this?" Raven asks.

"There is always hope." The wizard smirks slightly, making Raven wonder for a second if it was from her he took that or if it was something else that amused him.

"Assuming I pull this off, what are you going to do with him?" Raven continues.

"That is my choice. But let's just say I desire some redecorating. Will you take up this challenge?"

"_I don't like it; it sounds like you are going to be his personal hitman." _ John grumbles.

"_But he knows a method to get you back, do we have a choice?"_ Raven sends back.

"Rest assured, I do not wish Black Adam dead, merely detained." Shazam says. "Killing him, while possible and certainly justifiable, will cause me too many problems due to his gods, who still favor him."

"_What gods are these?" _Diana asks.

"Those of ancient Egypt." Shazam says. "It is their hope that Adam's actions will ultimately restore faith in them."

"_There is going to be a lot of planning needed before Adam can be retrieved." _Diana sighs.

"I understand, but I implore you to make haste, they may be closer to succeeding than you suspect." Shazam says. "Go, I will know of your decision." He says before Raven and the others are blinded by a flash of light, before they find themselves back in Fate's tower, surprising the two men browsing the pile of books, with a new pair of boots on her feet.

"That was fast." Jason notes as he picks up the book he just dropped. "Didn't you just leave?"

"I…erm?" Raven asks equally surprised to be here.

"You have been gone from the Tower for 5 point 2 seconds." Amazo says as he appears around a corner.

"Time must slow at the Rock." Fate says. "Did you learn anything useful?"

"That none of you had really seen my true self for one thing." Raven admits after a second. "And that you can stop looking, according to Shazam, the spell we need is not in any of those books."

"But you retrieved it?" Jason asks.

"Shazam wants me to do something for him, and he will supply the spell we need."

"Which is?" Jason asks.

"Retrieve Black Adam from a group of nutty scientists." Raven sighs. "And I have to do it alone. I've got a lot of planning to do."

"_And training."_ Bruce adds from within.

* * *

**Authors notes: **Pesky old wizards and their rules :)


	7. Briefing the League

_The Watchtower:_

"Think we need to get you assigned to something other than this." Batman notes as he walks up to Mr. Terrific, who is again on monitor duty and doing his crosswords at the same time.

"Really?" The man looks up, more amused than hopeful. "With J'onn and Bruce gone they say I am the most suited guy for this. Besides I got time to do this as well." He continues tapping the paper with his pen.

"Let's just say I think we could use the 3rd smartest man in the word more effectively than this." Batman says as she crosses his arms and smirks, the definitive sign that it's not Bruce under the cowl.

"Just throw me something when it's needed." Terrific says while adding another word. "Hmm; carrion bird with five letters?" He mumbles as a black shape materializes on the floor below them.

"Raven?" Batman asks as she woman steps out.

"That's it!" Terrific exclaims as he writes it down completing the crossword before he realizes it. "Oh, did I miss the call?" He asks as he looks at the console in front of him while Raven glides up to them.

"Bruce suggested I try and teleport up here." She says looking a little paler than usual.

"You look…frozen." Richard notes.

"Never tried teleporting into space before, gets a lot colder than usual. Terrific, I need to know everything we have about Oolong Island and whoever is associated with it."

"Mmm tropical; planning a vacation? Or has Veronica gotten into trouble again?" Terrific asks, looking even more amused.

"Again?" Raven quirks an eyebrow, while he types. "Do you know her?"

"Sure I do, I was invited along when they started up on that island. Walked away fast enough when I found out it was a loony bin. Since then Cale has made it her own little nation when China wasn't looking. And now it's too much bother for them to get rid of. There, files should be available to you now." Terrific says without looking at her as he grants her access to the files.

"Umm, Rae, might I ask what are you doing there?" Richard asks.

"Tradeoff, I get something located there and I trade it for the spell we need. And no, you can't help; it's part of the deal." She says as he opens his mouth to speak.

"Are you sure that's wise? I mean doing it alone." Terrific asks. "Cale and her squad haven't been using that island just for soaking up sun."

"Probably not, but the guy I'm dealing with will know if I take help along and then the deal will be nullified." Raven sighs.

"I won't interfere then; I just hope you know what you will be getting into and that you remember the emergency channel." He sighs as well.

"I do." Raven says. "I'll be in one of the spare room's if we have any left."

"Meeting room 4 should be available otherwise." Terrific mentions.

"_Take it; it's got a 3D projector." _Bruce says. _"Tell him he looks fine, by the way."_

"Bruce says you look fine." Raven mentions to Richard, who looks stomped for a second.

"Erm thanks, I guess, but I hope I won't have to wear this for long." He says before a thought enters his head. "What do you think?"

"As long as you aren't wearing something Slade or X, you look fine in anything, I'll be in the meeting room." Raven says with a smirk before disappearing, leaving a smiling Terrific and an even more off put Richard behind.

"Well at least you are still acting human, unlike Bruce." Terrific mentions, getting a sigh out of Richard.

_Several hours later:_

"This is very unwelcome news." Raven notes at one of the four green-blue glowing sheets hovering in front of her, she has been reading like this while levitating in front of them with her hands on her knees, with Bruce's help, the projector in the ground had quickly been set up so she only needed to motion at a sheet with her hand to flip a page. In the room, is also a plane round table, currently displaying a slowly rotating 3D-map of Oolong. The unwelcome news is a note that the Doom Patrol is frequently acting as a sort of extra guard for the island, they even have their own base there. This is due to a recent addition to the Patrol, a Niles Caulder, a scientist with a less than perfect record, like most of the other scientists on the island apparently.

"_Or an opportunity." _Batman speculates. _"You will have to ask Beastboy about it. You have the basic knowledge of the notable personnel and the numbers?" _

"Yes." Raven agrees while rubbing her eyes. "We only have Adam himself left." She says, waving the other sheets away before waving a single sheet up, which she immediately begins reading. "If he is conscious, I may have to try and attack his mind." She sighs as she finishes. "I doubt I can overpower him physically." She notes. Like Marvel, Adam is fueled by magic on an equal degree, Adam just doesn't have any compunctions to use his full strength as a few videos show, where Adam is seen pulling the arms legs and heads off normal people. "And he assumingly won't even listen to me once free."

"_He enjoys his god's blessings." _Diana notes.

"So what do you suggest I try? He may be shielded mentally." Raven says.

"_I agree, this is a case where finding out too late could be fatal." _J'onn mentions.

"_You can't just hold onto him and teleport up to the Rock?" _Shayera asks.

"Doubt it, since the Rock keeps moving, I could end up in an empty space just before the Rock reappears." Raven replies.

"_I will suggest you ask Athena for advice on this, we are dealing with a Champion of the Gods." _Diana says.

"Actually that part worries me a bit, won't I be offending the Egyptians by doing this?" Raven asks.

"_If they would take insult, they would at his capture." _Diana replies. _"And the relationships between ours and the Egyptians have never been one of peace as far we are aware."_

"_A goddess of tactics might be worth asking for advice in this matter, if she answers that is."_ J'onn says, as Raven yawns.

"Sorry, guess I've lost track of time, too much jet lag. I'll need some tea." She says.

"_Nope, you need rest."_ Flash says. _"Besides Bruce has something he wants to announce."_

"What?" Raven asks as she gets up and stretches, getting a crack out of her neck.

"_We think you need to explore your own powers before you go to Oolang, it may or may not prove useful and we may not have time to explore it all. Some of us here have some of your abilities and we can possibly help you in some of these areas." _Batman explains after eyeing Wally. _"And you need to know the limits of that other form you took."_

"_Like I can help you flap those wings of yours if you can bring them back out." _Shayera mentions, Raven nods at this, she needs to know how to move if she ever finds herself like that again, but she suspects she will have to use it sooner or later.

"_I think I will issue the first lesson."_ Diana says.

"It's a little late for combat practice." Raven mentions.

"_Actually, I am going to teach you how to pray." _Raven blinks a few times at this.

"Can we even do that up here, unless you have a shrine in your room?"

"_You won't need one, they will hear you."_ Diana assures. _"Now, first of all need to pull your hood back. Then you have to get down on one knee and cross your arms over your chest so your hands touch your shoulders."_ Raven can see Diana doing the motion inside the Council chamber; Raven faces the windows and copies the position. _"Now, lower you head and close your eyes and repeat after me. Blessed Athena, blessed Artemis, blessed Aphrodite, blessed Hestia and blessed Demeter; I thank you for our lives, our blessings and our sisters."_ The prayer she speaks in Hellenistic Greek, which leaves most of the Leaguers with question marks over their heads because they don't understand it.

"Blessed Athena, blessed Artemis, blessed Aphrodite, blessed Hestia and blessed Demeter; I thank you for our lives, our blessings and our sisters." Raven echoes carefully.

"_I thank you for the sun that shines on us, and the moon that lights our paths."_

"I thank you for the sun that shines on us, and the moon that lights our paths."

"_But I am in need of guidance, of council, to know my path is true."_

"But I am in need of guidance, of council, to know my path is true."

"_Athena, I humbly turn to you."_

"Athena, I humbly turn to you." Raven finishes, she sits motionless for a sort of sign, but feels nothing, she almost sighs.

"So, Diana's opposite number is it?" Raven nearly falls over at the voice behind her, before getting up and sees a tall woman in hoplite armor, complete with shield, sword at her side and a spear in her hand studying the picture of Black Adam. "Speaking of which, I hope our Champion is behaving in there. Oh, no need to grovel, we aren't so demanding anymore." She says, looking amused as Raven almost lowers her gaze to her feet.

"Erm, well yes it is and yes she is. We are just unsure of how to tackle Teth-Adam if he proves hostile."

"Which he will, if I know anything about him." Athena says. "Unfortunately, like Diana, they made their Champion mighty indeed, but not invincible. Like Hephaestus usually says, only Zeus is perfect. While not holding our deepest interest, we do keep an eye on the champions of the other pantheons and we know how Adam was laid low by a group of mortal men."

"And how did they manage that?" Raven asks.

"They projected a kind of force bubble into his head, that's a possibility. Another is taking him somewhere where his gods are not in effect, that should leave him vulnerable enough for you to subdue him physically. A caution though, he is nearly invulnerable to magic, but not completely. Of course you will be worrying too much if you find him in his mortal shape, where he is a skilled swordsman but nothing more, but he rarely changes back into that, voluntarily."

"Hmm, it's something to work with." Raven nods.

"Of course, there is the direct approach, he should be able to see you for what you are and either hesitate or attack you on sight depending on his mood, but even he would stop if you have Shadowfury at his throat." Athena smirks. "Or has Man's World forbidden its use?" She asks almost teasingly.

"_No, but we have warned her that it shouldn't be used idly and never as the first choice."_ Superman says from the inside.

"Very true, although I do condone its current use." Athena says. "But I understand your position. Ah, it appears you know of it now." Athena says with a knowing look in her eyes as she looks at Raven.

"My other shape?" Raven asks getting a nod. "Yeah…Shazam decided I should know of it. You already did?"

"It was not my place to tell." Athena replies. "I suspect your father would have had you wear it once he had established his rule here. While it is not my place to speak of its capabilities, I will say it is meant to suit your status."

"The great and terrible daughter of Trigon?" Raven asks, trying to amuse herself though it was a depressing thought to guess at what she would have been like if her father had his will.

"In part." Athena replies mysteriously. "But you destroyed him without it, and perhaps this shape is a hint of things to come. Anyways I would suggest you become familiar with it, you will need it before long."

"You already know when?" Raven asks.

"I know when it is more likely you will consider using it. But mark my words Raven; soon you will have to travel to your fathers lands in your quest should you best Adam, and despite you heritage, there will be beings who will not accept you on a whim." This makes Raven raise her eyebrows in question about how much of her future the Goddess knew, but visiting the Eight Pit was something she could avoid for as long as possible, getting dropped into the wasteland of the Greater Hell was bad enough for her. "I hope this has given you a few options when you encounter Black Adam. Now I must be off, my brother is waiting for our weekly sparring. Strength and honor." She says before vanishing in a flash of light and a roar of thunder that leaves Raven blinded for a few seconds.

"_That was sudden."_ Flash notes.

"_They usually ask or expect a thank you."_ Diana continues. _"She must be itching for that fight."_ She says as someone bursts through the door.

"What the hell…?! Rae?" Raven and Beastboy end up staring at each other, neither had expected to find each other here.

"Umm, hey Garfield." Raven manages, thinking about the Doom Patrol. "It was just Athena leaving."

"But…but what are you doing up here? I thought you were working on getting the Founders back?" He says while eyeing the sheet with Adam's face and the island map.

"I am, this is a part of it." Raven sighs as she hears several other pairs of boots running down the hallway, soon enough several Titans and a few Leaguers are crowding the doorway.

"Rae, was that thunderclap coming from in here?" Batman asks, Raven sighs again.

"Yes, Athena was just leaving. And yes, I am still working on getting the Founders back; this is a part of it." Raven replies, answering the questions Beastboy had just asked before the others arrived.

"I don't know about you, but Oolong Island and Black Adam don't have a lot in common with bringing back the dead." Green Arrow says.

"I think we need a status update, if you have the time?" Richard says.

"_They will need it._" Bruce notes.

"Ok, if you will all come in and sit down then, I will explain." Raven sighs as the room fills up with the still dirt covered Titans and the temporary leaders, minus Jason and Marvel. "And can we get Mr. Terrific in here as well?" Batman nods before calling the man who arrives a few minutes later, accompanied by his three metal spheres with this signature T pained on them.

"Ok kiddo, we are all here." Oliver says.

"Ok, first of all, yes we are still working on bringing the Founders back. After reading through most of Dr. Fate's library for anything useful, we've come up blank. Inza however mentioned Zatanna had borrowed some books a while ago; Fate went to get them back. I on the other hand went to Jump City at the request of the Founders, since one of them had not had the chance to examine the place properly yet. Fortunately we arrived before Waller could break in the door to Luthor's laboratory. I've sent all the data I could to Oracle; also in there I found a highly advanced cloning machine, which I destroyed so Waller didn't feel tempted to use it. What I also found in there was of the more grisly sort, Deadshot and Mercy Graves were being kept alive as brains in jars, I couldn't take them with me since they needed a huge piece of machinery to keep them alive. Also I found out to my surprise, Luthor had managed to clone me, right down to the powers and problems. I couldn't let that thing exists and I had it destroyed as well, it wasn't sentient yet and it would have been too dangerous to let it wake up. Finally, I am sorry to say I found the body of Nemesis in the lab. Oliver?" She says as Oliver raises his hand for a question.

"Was there nothing other you could have done about the clone?"

"I could have stored it somewhere, but waking it, at my age, without any training and a demon half that is hostile, it could have leveled a good few city blocks before it had drawn its first breath. Superman wasn't happy about it, but the others agreed it had to be this way. I still have to deposit Nemesis in the morgue, since he is currently stored in a pocket dimension. After we left the lab as Waller was breaking the door down, Mr. Terrific will be happy to know we managed to get him some reading material from Luthor's room, since it was sealed off in a similar manner to the lab, there is a good chance of finding something useful in it." She says as she opens a small black hole and pulls out several dossiers before sliding them over the table to the man in question. "Also we took several items from Tala's and Circe's quarters that seem to have magical properties. When we were done there we went to question Tala about the still missing corpse of a dragon that was stolen from S.T.A.R. Labs in Jump City. Yes Kyle?" She notes at the Green Lantern.

"Not that I know anything about dragons, but isn't it being dead, making it somewhat irrelevant?" He asks.

"Unfortunately no, dragon parts are very much sought after by many mages for use in various rituals. Tala admitted to have used parts of it for the ritual they performed for example. Some rituals and spells need dragon parts to even function, others become stronger by using them." Raven explains.

"Think of it as magical spice of sorts." Aqualad continues.

"Precisely. After that I met up with Batman, who informed me of Cyborg's, Starfire's and Beastboy's findings in Switzerland, which will explains to some of you why I am wearing black." She says while looking at the three who still look downhearted. "After a brief interlude, I was informed that Zatanna had violently refused to return Dr. Fate's books. I went to Shadowcrest, where Zatanna was. After a brief exchange I returned to Fate's tower with her, her books and a man called John Constantine who arrived half way's through the exchange. Mr. Palmer?" She asks as the blue and red clad man raises a hand.

"Was she still hostile?"

"Very, when she woke up and drunk, I fear she may have become dependent on it. I don't know, but I hope Fate can prevent her from getting any more intoxicated than she was. Donna?"

"I know of Dr. Fate and his powers but how was it he was repelled?" She asks.

"Zatanna has a mummy guardian called Hassan, who is completely immune to magic; I assume it caught Fate off guard. Hopefully Zatanna can put him back together when she sobers up."

"The walking dead kin?" Barry asks.

"One of Ramses II's bodyguards." Raven adds. "When I returned to Fate's tower, Captain Marvel asked me to accompany him to see his, benefactor, an ancient wizard called Shazam. After some mistakes made on both mine and the Wizards part, he gave me the option of completing a task for him in return of the knowledge needed to revive the Founders, which lead us here." She says as she motions at the island hologram. "Oolong Island, home of the Science Squad run by a Veronica Cale. Shazam tasked me with retrieving his former champion; Black Adam, from this island and that I have to do it alone. The thunderclap you heard was Athena, leaving the station after I had asked her for advice on how to tackle Adam." Raven finishes, nothing the shocked expression on some of the faces in front of her.

"You're serious about this?" Terrific asks. "I know Black Adam and I've worked with him before, and he's not going to go anywhere he doesn't want to."

"Very, if it saves us years of reading books for an answer that may not be found in them. And I have to do this alone or any effort invested in this will be for nothing. Garfield?" Raven asks noticing the changeling waving his hand.

"But the Doom Patrol is stationed on Oolong right now." Raven sighs at him. "They came back to check on us when we got hit in the castle."

"It's in the files you act as an off and on guard corps for the island, due to Niles Caulder. I don't want to hurt them or anyone else, but I can't say if they will feel the same."

"But they are here on the station, right now." Beastboy says.

"Is Caulder with them?" Bruce asks, making some of the people in the room jump.

"No, he's not really that mobile." Beastboy admits.

"We will need to talk to them about the relationship they have with Oolong." Raven says, forcing Bruce back. "It's not a boy scout club from what I hear."

"I've heard about Oolong as well, it's not exactly for the good of the people the things I hear they cook up." Palmer adds.

"It's not." Terrific sighs. "And neither is what Caulder usually does." He continues. "If you say you have to do this alone, I can't say you shouldn't out of anything other than consideration for yourself, Oolong is bad enough, but add Adam into it…"

"I know what I am getting into, and it's bad. But I have orders to bring at least one back, and that is enough for me." Raven says firmly. "Also, the wizard did something to me while I visited, which ended up with Marvel being unconscious."

"I won't argue if your mind is made up." Terrific sighs.

"Rae, do the Founders want you to do this?" Richard asks.

"We do." Superman says. "Adam is apparently being used to experiment on, if not duplicated, that cannot be allowed to continue. If Raven fails, the League will have to intervene."

"But let Raven have the chance first." Diana mentions. "I believe she is capable of this feat."

"We all do." Wally adds.

"Well, unless there's anyone who has serious injections of letting Raven try first, we will." Richard says as he looks at the other council members. "But we need to prepare in case Raven does not succeed, this is potentially a powder keg."

"I'll go find the Patrol." Beastboy says before heading out of the door.

"I think it's best if I talk to them alone, if they insist on staying in harm's way, it's probably best they don't know the League may try shortly afterwards." Raven says and Richard nods.

"Just be careful." He says before leading the other Leaguers out, leaving a group of muddied Titans behind.

"I take it you found the others?" Raven sighs at them.

"Yeah…rotten way for a reunion." Aqualad sighs.

"Yet you seem to have managed tovarishch." Red Star says to Raven.

"Terra would have come after me I guess, if I had stayed in Jump City. But you are right Garth, this is a bitter reunion. But nonetheless, I'm glad to see you alive and well." She says while giving them a sad smile.

"Yeah, pity it had to be Luthor and a batch of mind controlling that had to do it." Speedy says with a frown. "But we have to get hold of everyone when we have the service."

"We do." Jinx agrees as Bushido walks to stand before Raven, the lock eyes for a few seconds before he bows.

"My honor has been stained by deeds I had no choice in making. But I hear you led the League to us and our liberation. For that I feel I owe you an honor debt." He says quietly.

"_It will be a shame to him if you decline or trivialize it."_ Bruce mentions.

"_I know."_ Raven sends back. "And one day you will have a chance to earn it back, but I have to do this alone for now."

"I understand." Bushido says as he retreats without turning away from her.

"Umm, I hope you aren't expect that from me?" Speedy says.

"From you? Of course not." Raven replies flatly.

"Good, because I can only give you a thanks. I would hug you, but I like living." He smirks. "And if you know what I was actually doing, that would be nice to know."

"Well all I know is that you shot me." Raven replies flatly.

"I what?" Speedy asks in surprise.

"You, Green Arrow and your black clad friend tried turning me into pincushion, fortunately; only one of your arrows hit me."

"What? Who? Merlyn? Where did you get hit?!" Speedy asks in alarm.

"Shoulder, nothing serious." Raven shrugs, she had pretty much forgotten the injury before she had arrived in the jungle level.

"The shoulder?! That hurts like hell!"

"Armor took the worst I guess; don't worry about it I've had bullet wounds that hurt more."

"Armor?" Speedy gasps, the others just look at Raven with surprised expressions.

"I'll show you later." Raven says hurriedly as the door opens and the five original members of the Doom Patrol enter.

"_Saved by the bell."_ Shayera notes as the other Titans file out.

"Heard you wanted a word with us?" Mento says after the door closes behind the last Titan.

"Yes, see I have a problem. There is something on Oolong Island that I have been tasked to retrieve. From what I have read, you occasionally act as guards there?" Raven says while pulling off her hood.

"Occasionally, occasionally we get asked to do some other things." Mento says while crossing his arms. "What is it you need?"

"That guy." Raven says while throwing a thumb at the image of Black Adam, the older patrollers take a second to look the image and some of the text over.

"I can't say I have ever seen him." Elasti-girl says.

"Me neither, but we don't have access to the whole place." Robotman shrugs.

"He is being held on Oolong against his will. But that is not what I am asking you." Raven says. "I am asking you to not be there when I try to retrieve him." The group looks at her with mixed expressions between surprise and shock. "I don't want to have to fight you on top of whatever else is there."

"Raven, are you asking us to stand down in case you try and storm Oolong?" Elasti-girl asks.

"Yes, and it is not in case of, I am going to try at some point." Raven says.

"Umm, no offence kiddo, but Oolong has resists bigger fish than you." Robotman points out.

"Perhaps it will resist me as well, I don't know, but I have to try. I really just don't want you to be there when I do, since I consider you friends."

"Look, it's not that simple, we aren't mercenaries." Mento says. "We are there because we hope Niles can help us; Rita, Cliff and Larry have been promised that if we help Caulder, then he will help us find cures for their conditions. It's not all of us who are happy about being what we are, you know?"

"I can understand that, really I can, I was never asked to be born as what I am, but I am stuck with it. But don't take this the wrong way, but I haven't met anyone yet that had anything positive to say about Niles Caulder and his work."

"We know kid, but so far he is the only one who's promised to at least look into it." Negative Man says. "And who knows, perhaps all those nutcases on the island could actually make something useful for a change?"

"But how do you know Black Adam is even on Oolong?" Elasti-girl asks.

"He is the former champion of an ancient wizard, and that wizard has kept an eye on him since they parted ways. He fears that the scientist will find a way to either control or clone him." Raven explains.

"Ok, I get that part, that you have been told to go fetch him, but according to Garfield, you never do chores for strangers?" Robotman points out.

"_Tell them."_ Batman says.

"I made a bargain with that wizard, I bring him Black Adam and I get a spell that will allow us to revive the founding members of the Justice Leaguer. In addition, I have orders from Themyscira to find a way to bring Wonder Woman back, that order is leading me to Oolong now. How my visit there goes, I don't know."

"_Can I talk to them directly?"_ Batman asks.

"Batman wants a word it seems, don't be alarmed." Raven says as she changes into the Caped Crusader.

"Batman, is that you?" Mento asks.

"It is, I want to take this opportunity to talk with you about Niles Caulder."

"We already went over this with Raven…" Robotman begins before being cut off.

"I know, I hear what she hears. It is not my doubt in Caulders abilities as a scientist to help you if he wants to; it is if he is really just using you. I don't know what you know about him, but I know he has a history of negligence and manipulation. You know of the Brain?" He asks.

"Of course, our most persistent enemy." Mento says.

"Did you know Caulder and he once worked together, when the Brain was still human?" The surprised expression's of the Patrol tells him they didn't. "Caulder was supposedly jealous of the Brain's superior intellect and tried to make him the first Robotman, but due to Mallah's intervention, the Brain exists as you know him now. According to the Brain, Niles first tried talking him into willingly become Robotman, but the Brain had seen by this time how Caulder operated, seemingly making people think they are dependent on him in some way, and refused. I won't say Caulder has not turned over a new leaf, but if I were you, I would take a long hard look at him and whatever work he has performed for you." Batman says before changing back into Raven.

"Gar, what do you think?" Rita asks.

"I think we spend too much time on Nile's errants." He shrugs; he never liked the man who always looked at him like bug in a jar.

"He is right, we have been spending more and more time on Caulder and Oolong than on the Brotherhood remnants and we have only seen drawings and sketch boards from him." Cliff adds.

"Ok ok, it seems we need to discuss this." Mento says. "If Batman is right or not about Caulder or not, we can't give you an answer about if we will be on Oolong or not, but if we are, it means we have seen something worthwhile to stand against you." He says to Raven.

"And I have said why I can't stop either." Raven nods a them before they leave. "I hope they choose wisely." She sighs before shutting down the projectors.


	8. Finding your feet

After spending the night upside down in the Watchtower Trophy Hall, followed by a shower and breakfast, Raven is alone in the training hall, the rest of station is mostly quiet with the majority of heroes still being fast asleep.

"_You sure do get up early." _Flash notes with a yawn.

"_Like Nightwing, she got to up watch the sunrises."_ Batman adds._ "Now we should begin…"_

"_Umm Bat's there was actually something I wanted to test first." _Wally interrupts, for the other Leaguers this is a sign of how important it is to the speedster, especially when it's Batman he interrupts. _"As you know, my connection with the Speedforce may be something inside of me, I just want to know if that connection is in my body or not. If it's tied to me here, perhaps that connection has extended to Raven in a fashion." _He explains.

"I don't feel different." Raven notes.

"_Perhaps, you mind just doesn't realize you can move faster?"_ J'onn speculates.

"_Yeah, see I got my powers from a mix of chemicals and a bolt of lightning, I didn't think about it, I just ran to get away from Central City, ended up in India before I knew it. After that everything around me just seemed to slow down."_ Flash adds.

"_It could prove dangerous; Raven doesn't have your skeleton." _Superman mentions.

"_The Speedforce is what keeps me from burning up, if Raven has that connection, she should be safe as well."_

"I'll let you control an arm for starters and let you have access to the nerves there." Raven says. "But go slow first."

"_Got it boss."_ Flash smiles before he has an odd sensation of having control of her right arm. _"Ok, I just have to get used to this before I try anything."_ He says as he moves the limb around. To Raven it looks strange in the wall of mirrors to see her arm move and not having told it too. _"Ok, starting slow." _He says as he begins moving the arm around faster and faster.

"_Peak human speed." _Bruce notes as the speed increases.

"_The speed I move in to deflect bullets seems she has the connection."_ Diana notes a second later as Raven's arm has nearly become a blur.

"_Nope, I am not accessing the force yet. This is all her." _Wally says. _"Picking up the pace."_ He says as Ravens arm begins to blur for some.

"Ok, stop, this hurts!" Raven complains, Wally immediately slows down before stopping.

"_Is it bad?" _He asks.

"No, I just don't think your perception is following." Raven says as she holds onto her arm. "Feels like a power cable." She notes as her hand spasms a little.

"_That's the speed force, it's like that."_ Wally adds. _"Seems I have something to teach after all."_

"_I didn't know you were that fast?"_ Diana asks.

"I didn't know I was either, but I did manage to deflect five arrows in Jump City. One ended up in my shoulder though." Raven says as she tries to calm her arm down. "How fast was that?"

"_Just below the speed of sound."_ Wally replies.

"_Better we don't wake the station by Raven having punching through the sound barrier."_ John adds.

"_Raven, if you can try and run fast, let's see if it's just me being here that does it?"_ Wally asks, Raven nods at this and moves to the far end of the huge hall.

"How fast can a person usually run to the far side?" She asks.

"_Regular, Amazon? About 8 seconds." _Batman notes as Raven gets ready for the 100m sprint.

"Someone keep time." She says. _"3, 2, 1."_ She sends inwards before sprinting across the room and almost slamming into the opposite wall.

"_5 seconds."_ Batman says. _"Which will decrease if you change into that last form."_

"The legs, I know, but it has more bulk and the wings will catch the wind. Ok, so who has the first lesson?" Raven says, returning to the point where Batman was interrupted.

"_I do." _Bruce says. _"There is a computer at the door, activate it and when I say so, load up simulation 1684."_ Raven does as asked, noting that the screen says this is a combat simulator. _"First you need to warm up."_

"Of course." Raven says before taking two minutes of warm-ups, getting the rest of her muscles loosened up.

"_One rule, no extra physical powers, meaning no magic, teleportation or telekinesis. Activate it when you feel ready." _Batman says as she finishes before walking over and hits the activation command.

There is a dull humming as the machine starts up and the room changes from the large empty room with steel and mirror walls and padded floor to what Raven identifies as a large hall built in the style of buildings from feudal Japan, from the lighting, she guesses it should be either morning or evening. She takes a second to take in the scene, it all looks real and feels like it, the wood posts, the straw carpet , even the air smells like it should; the smell of wood and fresh morning air. She is almost too lost in the scenery to hear the almost silent padding of soft feet. She quickly moves to the center and falls into a ready stance as she hears more feet. She can tell there are more than four of them, but nothing more, she can't see anyone as she slowly looks around herself paying attention to the dark areas around room and more worryingly she can't feel them. For the empath, that is a strange and scary prospect since she always knows when others are around and has come to rely on it a good deal. The sound of feet suddenly stops and something inside Raven tell her to find the movers before it's too late. A soft sound of cloth brushing against cloth behind her has her quickly ducking to one side as three spinning objects fly past her head to lodge themselves in the floor, Raven doesn't look at them and she barely has time to think about her actions before a shape drops down from above, with two shiv's in its hands, before she has thought about it, she meets the figure's attack by grabbing its right wrist before planting her palm in the figures chest, sending it crashing to the ground. Raven manages a quick look at the attacker before he fades from view; a ninja completely dressed in black. Quickly she looks up to the roof, finding the rafters up there completely infested by them. One of them jumps down, this one wielding a katana that aims to split her in half. Raven quickly rolls to the side, feeling the blade cleave the air next to her left leg before the thump announced the sword meeting the ground. As she stands up, the rustle of chains behind her has her spinning around in time to grab another ninja, this one wielding a pair of chain and sickle weapons, by the right wrist before pushing him into his associate, she quickly uses the moment to pounce on them by elbow drooping the sickle wielder on the back of the head before thumping the swordsman straight in the face. She quickly gets up again as the two fade out of sight as three more drop down from above, each coming from a different direction in an effort to surround her. She can see two of them, another swordsman and one wielding two short sticks. Without thinking about it, she knows the one behind her will strike first, without knowing if he is, Raven leaps into an impressive backwards somersault feeling her hair brush against something passing under her before she lands on her feet, seeing the third ninja turn around with two sharpened sai in his hands. Instead of waiting for them to act, Raven charges them, which seems to catch them off guard as none of them react to it at first before the sai wielder is sent crashing into a wooden post due to a flying kick and Raven standing between them. As they move to act Raven moves into a run towards the stick wielder, he thrusts the left one towards her while drawing back the right. Raven is at him faster, before he can strike as she pushes down the extended weapon while bringing her fist up to punch the descending arm. There is an audible crunch as the limb breaks and the ninja lets the weapon fall. Knowing the other ninja is still behind her Raven quickly grabs the wounded ninja by the collar and his belt before hurling him at his fellow that is charging in with a raised sword. Both are carried out of sight into the darkness surround the main floor, leaving the sword swaying in the floor.

"_Raven, sword!"_ Diana yells as four more drop down from above, Raven stares at one with a little more interest than the other three, because he is wielding her weapon of choice; a staff. As he lands, Raven is quick to draw close to him and grabs hold of the weapon before back flipping over the ninja pulling him with her as she lands and pulls the weapon to her, sending its owner flying feet first into the surrounding darkness.

"This will do." Raven replies as she turns in time to use the staff to vertically block two swords slashing at her mid section before kicking the attacker I the stomach. The two other are quickly laid low by a sweeping blow fueled by Amazon strength. "Think I need it now." She notes as the steady increase in assailants is thrown out of the window with the large group entering the battle. Raven is quickly forced on the defensive as the ones above begin throwing more shurikens at her, which keeps her moving when not deflecting them with the staff or one bracelet, the ninjas on the ground prove more capable than their predecessors as they begin covering each other with leapfrogging attacks. Raven almost notices too late that she is nearing the edge of the mattress and is forced to stand her ground, the group on the ground seems to think as one as they surge forwards to push her out. Raven counter charges them with keeping the staff level in two hands as she collides with the group. Reason would say that Raven should have gone down here, If she was not an Amazon, and that fact is sending the group flying in every directions as more leap down from above, leaving Raven to wade through a sea of opponents trying to keep them away with many sweeps of her staff before she is knocked down from behind and unceremoniously dog-piled by every ninja on the floor. Raven knows it is over for her unless she uses her powers, her eyes blaze black before a tremendous blast sends every ninja on her flying in every direction.

"_Say abort."_ Bruce says from the inside.

"Abort." Raven says flatly as the next wave of ninja's fade out of sight along with the room and the staff in her hand. "Nice simulator."

"_As close to the real thing without being lethal."_ Bruce says. _"The computer has the score." _Raven walks over to the computer, feeling a winded from the fight. _"Adjust the timer by 3 seconds." _Raven does as instructed, knowing the last explosive burst wouldn't count.

_Adjusting score…._

_User: unknown, please enter name_

_Simulation: 1684, Shinobi Stand._

_Number of assailants defeated: 33_

_Serious injuries inflicted: 4_

_Fatalities: 0_

_Time: 5:43._

_Manner of defeat: …._

_Suggested improvement: …_

_Score: 4671_

"_Impressive." _Batman notes. _"But why didn't you use your demonic form?"_

"You told me not to use anything other than my bare hands." Raven sends back. "No telekinesis, no magic or teleportation."

"_I didn't say no to transformation." _Raven can see him smirking inside her head. _"This simulation is one made for me but it will deactivate if it detects any action a human body cannot perform under any circumstances, like teleporting. But you did good nonetheless, the program is meant to dissuade me from picking up a weapon."_

"So it swamps anyone who picks up a weapon." Raven finishes.

"_There have been others who have tried it, and most take the first weapon offered."_ He continues.

"How much did you score?" Raven asks, wondering if this was how Beastboy and Cyborg could endure all those hours of brain eroding videogames.

"_But there are a few things you need to remember, these were ordinary humans and some of your moves could have ended in fatalities."_ Batman continues without paying attention to her question. _"You will remember that."_

"You berate me for not using all I have, yet chastise me for excess?" Raven counters.

"_Think about it Raven."_ Batman replies before falling into silence, and she does, this wasn't about beating a score, it was a test of how aware she is when applying the strength her body possesses on a regular human being. Punching through a brick wall may be a small feat for her now, but if someone is in her hands when she does it, they may not be around to tell of it. Realizing this, she sighs. _"8765."_

"What?"

"_My personal best in this simulation."_ Bruce replies, still smirking, Raven huffs, hiding her own amusement.

"Guess I will have to beat that one day. So who is the next?"

"_That would be me." _John says boldly. _"It may not be the same, but you powers seem resemble a power ring in some areas." _The former marine starts explaining. _"We have seen you use it to move things around and form something that looks like a bird, but have you ever tried using it to make more complex items?" _He asks.

_Later:_

"So it is morning or evening or evening?" Cyborg greets Batman as they meet on the satellite.

"It's morning in Tehran right now." Richard replies smartly. "But its early evening for me, just came up to deliver my part of the reports Rae got from Luthor. Is she still up here?"

"Dunno, but the Patrol left last night looking less than pleased, Gar left with them." Cyborg sighs.

"Figures." Richard continues as they walk, coming up to the viewing ports to the training room. "Batman must have told them about Brain and Caulder, they used to work together when Brain was still human, it's not exactly positive reading for Caulder."

"Yeah, I had some time to read some of that stuff…hey is that…Rae?!" He says as he noticed the lone figure in the hall below. It has its back turned to them, it has red skin, horns, wings and a tail and its legs seem to be bend in odd directions.

"Doesn't look like it." Richard admits as the figure tries walking slowly from side to side, seemingly more interested in its own mirror image than anything else, before it suddenly turns around too quickly for it to hold its balance as it falls on its back, but they both saw the four eyes and they run off to the entrance of the room.

"_Guess they will know." _Raven sends inwards.

"_They would discover it eventually."_ J'onn says. _"At least you aren't speech impaired."_

"_True." _Raven notes as she rolls over and picks herself up as the door opens letting Batman and Cyborg enter.

"Rae?" Richard asks carefully. "What happened to you?"

"Shazam, Marvels wizard friend, thought I'd be more comfortable like this, since he thought my humanity had been swallowed by the demon half, like some others he's been watching." Raven replies.

"He turned you into this?!" Cyborg asks in outrage. "Why I outta…"

"There was a fair few things I'd like to do to him as well, but according to him he didn't do anything that wasn't already there. I guess you can call this my true form, I'm trying to learn how to move around in it."

"Didn't that hurt?" Richard asks while pointing at her legs.

"Like hell when Shazam did it, not so much this time. When I can move around somewhat normally, Hawkgirl is going to teach me to use these so I don't have to use my powers for it." She says as she pokes her right wing.

"So can you change into the form we have gotten used to?" Cyborg asks.

"I can, but I need to stay like this for a little while to get used to it. It may or may not be useful on Oolong."

"Guess you have new tricks in that shape?" Richard says as he walks little closer, noting that Raven is actually a head taller than him now, even with her legs bent and she is leaning forwards to hold her balance.

"Other than I can spit fire and grab ghosts, I'm not sure yet, it's why I am here right now. Batman ordered me to, after I ran off a cliff when I woke up like this."

"You are gonna scare the Grass Stain half to death when he sees thi…" Cyborg says before being interrupted by Starfire.

"Friend Cyborg….EEEP!" The alien princess yells as the sight of Raven before firing a starbolt at her, Raven just manages to look up in time to catch the energy blast right in the face which has her fall on her back.

"Star!" Cyborg yells before she can power up another blast.

"Rae?! You all right?" Richard asks as he is kneeling besides her.

"Peachy, just blinded me, that's all. Could you give me a hand?" Raven asks. Richard stands back up and offers his hand to her which she grabs.

"Whoa!" He says as he is pulled to the ground, ending up on top of Raven.

"I'm getting heavy." Raven notes dryly.

"Friend Raven…is that…you?" Starfire asks while floating into Ravens view as Richard gets up.

"Yeah. Don't worry, it didn't hurt." Raven says. "Now how was it? Ah." She continues before her wings fold together, allowing her to roll over and get up without hitting someone.

"But…you fell?"

"Surprised me, really it's nothing, I guess I look pretty strange like this." Raven says. "Look I am in the middle of training; I don't suppose we can continue this some other time?" She asks, feeling Shayera growing impatient.

"By Darkseid teeth! Finally I've cornered you Four Eyes!" The all look in surprise at door, finding a tall blue and yellow armored woman with a fierce expression on her face standing there with big red clad man with a metal helmet on his head, with a sun-emblem on its forehead.

"_Ah crap, they usually spar this time of day."_ Wally mentions.

"I don't think now…" Raven begins having heard about Barda's long wait for her.

"…_is a perfect opportunity."_ Shayera interrupts. _"You need to find out what you can do in this, and besides Amazo, those two are the best candidates, since Diana and Clark are in here."_

"_I can barely keep my balance." _Raven sends back.

"_Well if you lose, Barda will stop following you around; maybe she will even be less sullen than usual."_ Shayera mentions.

"_I can almost sense you all agree?" _Raven asks.

"I will not leave before I have had my fight!" Barda says firmly.

"If you wish to fight, fight with me!" Starfire says forcefully while flying up to the woman's face.

"I don't fight the malnourished." Barda replies flatly at Starfire's still tattered state.

"No need for those kind of remarks Barda." Richard grumbles, knowing the words would sting Starfire.

"_Or you can avenge Starfire's honor, by humbling Barda, again."_ Diana mentions.

"Right…if you have to insult my friends, you got your fight." Raven sighs.

"But Raven, you can hardly stand." Richard points out, getting a small smile out of Raven.

"The voices are telling me to humble her." She replies in a slightly distorted tone.

"Come young ones, Barda will have her challenge." Orion says from outside the room, Starfire growls at Barda before pushing past her. The other two follow shortly before Orion closes the door.

"_How resilient is she?"_ Raven asks the group inside.

"_She is almost my equal."_ Diana replies, Raven nods at this.

"You have mutated since I saw you last." Barda notes as she pulls out a short metal baton. "Tell me your name, so I know who I humble."

"I didn't tell Wonder Woman Batman's name, why should I tell you mine when you haven't earned it yet?" Raven asks as she turns slowly to keep Barda in front of her.

"Four Eyes it is then." Barda replies with a smirk as she continues moving slowly to the side.

"Pointless." Raven sighs under her breath as she spots the others appearing at the windows above. "Tell me, are you frightened?"

"I fear nothing!" Barda snarls, Raven audibly sniffs the air finding as if smelling something.

"I can smell your fear." Raven smirks back; Barda wasn't scared and they both knew it, but she was apparently very easy to anger, only getting a growl out of Barda. "Let me taste that fear up close Long Shanks!"

"_Ohh, she hates being called that."_ Shayera notes and its true, it's like something breaks inside of Barda and she lets loose shout before she charges and Raven counter charges. The spectators see Barda cover one third of the distance with Raven covering the two others before they collide. The strikes come simultaneously, Raven's punch to Barda's stomach and the rod in Barda's hands comes down hard on Raven's shoulder. One combatant is dropped to one knee while the other is sent flying into the far wall.

"_Anything broken?" _Diana asks as Raven stands back up.

"_No."_ Raven sends back, but that blow hurt more than she expected, obviously Barda wasn't holding back.

"_Raven, merge with me for a second." _Shayera interrupts as Barda gets back up looking even angrier than before. To the spectators Raven seems to change form for a second, the wings seem to be covered in feathers before they disappear again. _"Now flap those wings."_

"I am getting tired of that." Barda growls reminded of the last time she met Raven as she gets up, receiving a blast of air as Raven flaps the huge wings slowly. "Ha, you are not the only one with flight." She says as two silver disks forms under her feet before they lift her off the ground before she heads straight for Raven again, who jumps into the air as the wings begin to really work, keeping her flying.

"_Harder than it looks."_ Raven sends inwards.

"_Always is the first time."_ Shayera replies.

Barda almost reaches her before Raven vanishes, letting the club sail thought the area her head occupied.

"Coward!" Barda yells before something heavy crashes into her back sending her falling off her disks towards the ground. There is a dull boom as the two crash into the ground, Barda doesn't have time to register it as she is hoisted into the air while her arms and legs is encircled by another's, rendering her immobile before her back is forced backwards to the breaking point. "Release me!" She demands as she struggles while being pointed upwards.

"Yield Barda." Raven says quietly from beneath her.

"Never." Barda growls as she continues to struggle to be free.

"If I wanted to, I could break your back like a twig." Raven warns as she squeezes the shoulders to empathize.

"Never." Barda continues stubbornly.

"_You will have to knock her out, she never yields."_ Diana mentions.

"Sleep then warrior, dream of victories to come." Raven says as she pushes her way into the woman's mind.

"Wha…No!….no…" Barda complains weakly as she slowly drifts off to sleep, Raven gently untangles herself from the woman before levitating her off the ground, waking her now will only make Barda even angrier than she was before. The door to the gym opens before a man's enter.

"Honey are you in here?…oh." Mr. Miracle says as he spots his wife and Raven who is shrinking back to her normal human guise. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Your wife merely got her rematch." Orion says as he appears behind Miracle.

"I will have words with you if she is injured." Miracle says to Raven.

"She is just sleeping." As if on cue Barda snores a little. "Charming, mind taking her?" She continues as Barda drifts over to Miracle, who picks her up gently, Raven just notes the difference in size between them and that Orion is staring at her. "Anything wrong?" She asks, hoping he wasn't also looking for a fight.

"No." Orion replies calmly. "I just noticed we share common ground." He continues before walking out of the room, followed by Miracle.

"_Common ground?"_ Raven asks, she didn't even know who he was.

"_Orion is the son of Darkseid, and not happy about it." _Superman mentions.

"Ah." Raven says connecting the dots while Richard and Cyborg enters the room again.

"Well, I guess Barda will come looking for you again when she wakes up." Richard says with a smirk. "She won't stop till she wins."

"I could do without that." Raven groans as she adjusts to not having wings or a tail anymore.

"_Think you earned a break."_ Shayera says from the inside, after trying to form well defined objects with her powers with John, Wally had stepped back in to help her get used to the increased speed she can move at while he is inside of her, Clark had stepped down since he couldn't see how he could add anything with other than advise and lastly J'onn had her change into a number of shapes and people while trying to imitate them in voice and manners. Diana had said that she could only teach something they needed something that was not on the station.

"Heard anything from Fate?" Raven asks Richard.

"Actually I have, Zatanna is very pissed for the time being, partially because she is stuck in a bottle and that she is being denied alcohol. Constantine was sent home after waking up." Richard replies, having received the notification earlier that day. "I have a feeling she is not just drinking out of self pity."

"To forget?" Cyborg suggest.

"I think that may be why." Richard sighs, inside of Raven Bruce agrees. He had only found a few bottles, enough to have him concerned, but Zatanna had been on a binge since Jump City.

"_I need to talk to her." _Bruce says with a sigh.

"_I agree."_ Raven sends back. "Bruce wants to go see her."

"Figured he would, but I think Zee will be untalkative if you are anywhere near her." Richard adds.

"Too bad." Raven shrugs as a group of people pass by the entrance, but stops as one notices those is inside. "Morning." Raven greets the Titans as Cyborg and Richard turns to face them.

"If you can call it that." Jinx replies with a smile. "So is this a private gathering?"

"It's the Leagues training simulator." Raven shrugs but smirks at the woman.

"Yeah, it's really neat when it's up and running." Speedy adds. "Say, you wanna show off that armor you mentioned last night?" The man asks while sporting a boyish grin.

"It's a suit of armor, it's not that special." Raven shrugs.

"Yes, it is." Richard coughs into his fist, earning him a glare he refuses to meet.

"Like it or not Rae, you and armored suits aren't what we expected." Cyborg adds. "Or swords, or…"

"OK!" Raven cuts him off. "I'll show you, if I can figure out what the League has done with it."

"_Armory, two floors below you."_ Batman mentions.

"I know where they would put it." Speedy says excitedly. "Follow me."


	9. Dread Realizations

"Wow, you really wear this thing?" Jinx ask as she studies the suit of armor along with the others who hadn't seen it yet, Bushido however seems more interested in the sword that lies in its scabbard besides the suit while the group had parted with Batman who had patrols to do in Gotham.

"Yup and don't touch the sword, it gets really grouchy when someone other than me tries to." She says, making Bushido lean away, Jinx just stares at her.

"You should have seen the last time someone tried." Cyborg adds.

"It is a fine blade; can you tell me who the craftsman is?" Bushido asks as he finally looks away from the sword.

"Hephaestus. Made the armor as well." She notices Jericho begins signing to her. "Yes, the Greek god."

"If it wasn't for the whole Amazon thing, I'd say were being the victim of Raven's first elaborate joke." Jinx adds.

"So, do we get to see you with it on?" Speedy continues; still sporting his smirk, Raven sighs.

"You better see the whole package then." She starts, getting everyone's attention. "The battle with Malchior had some very disturbing side effects for me, during the battle; he cast a spell that transformed me into this." She says as she changes into her less monstrous appearance before continuing.

"I found out I was much stronger like this, but I couldn't change back. With half of Jump City in ruins and the Tower being a hole in the ground, I decided to leave before I was chased out. I spent half a year trying to discover a way to change back and look at least partially human again. With a little help I found it, as you have seen, but this is what will be buried if I end up doing something stupid. Yesterday, I found out this wasn't all of it. A wizard decided to show me that this is really only half of the transformation." She sighs, letting everyone know she now had that knowledge and would have preferred not having it as the horns, tail and wings rip their way out of her as her legs give way as they change as well.

"Holy shit…" Kid Flash gasps as Raven gets up to look at the shocked faces of her friends, while he gets elbowed in the ribs by Jinx.

"I know, once I looked human while having a monster buried within me, now I am a monster that tries to look human." Rave sighs.

"That's bullshit and you know it Rae!" Jinx says fiercely as she walks right up to her and stares her in the eyes, Cyborg notes how Raven actually towers above the pink haired sorceress. "You and I both know that monsters are defined by actions, not how they look. Read up a few history books and you will find real monsters, all of whom were just ordinary humans."

"Try walking down the street looking like this." Raven grumbles.

"So? You just look different and it's not like you can't hide it. But you of all don't get to suddenly care about outward appearance Ms. Hide-under-my-cloak-and-hood-all-day." Jinx continues, still staring at Raven which the others start to find a little odd, it was as if Raven had offended her. "Like it or not, as long as you continue to do good things, I will still look up to you as the one who proved to me that being born with magical doohickeys and bad pasts can become something good." The two former adversaries stare at each other for another five seconds before Raven actually lowers her gaze, admitting defeat.

"I'd hug you right now, but I fear I would crush you if I did." Raven replies as she looks up again.

"I agree with tovarishch Jinx, I hid away in fear of what had been done to me when it proved unmanageable. No matter how you look, you are still no monster." Red Star adds.

"Yeah Rae, who ever gave you that silly idea?" Cyborg asks.

"My mirror?" Raven replies with a slight smile before looking at her armor again. "Anyways, I do need to find out if that suit actually fits this." She says, getting a slightly questioning looks from the others. "The suit changes along with me from human to the other shape I showed you, practically becoming a second layer of skin." She explains.

"Which happens to be bulletproof." Cyborg adds as Raven focuses and lifts off the ground slightly before the armor disappears from its rack before appearing on Raven, instantly accommodating itself to her shape, enveloping the horns, tail and the sections of the wings where the bones are.

"Neat, a one-size fits all armor." Kid Flash says as she opens her eyes again.

"I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it." Speedy adds as Raven tries flapping the wings a little.

"Feels a little odd." Raven notes off handedly before she sees Jericho signing her. "A little now, passed out the first time."

"What?" Jinx asks as she doesn't know sign language.

"He just asked if it hurt when I turn into this." Raven explains while looking down herself.

"_We have to get going."_ Batman notes.

"_Doubt she is going anywhere, but yes."_ Raven sends back. "I have to go see a hung-over sorceress, if you guys want to know more, I'm sure Cyborg still has a few files he can show you." She continues as she changes back to first the wingless demon shape before changing to her human visage.

"Before you run off, can I try something?" Speedy asks as she begins peeling off the armor.

"What?"

"Erm, can I try and shoot at you?" The others look at Speedy with surprise and a little outrage from some.

"_Oh no…"_ Wally sighs.

"You said it yourself that you managed to deflect arrows, I just wanted to see it with when I am not zombified." Speedy explains.

"Robin is going to have kittens, but fine." Raven replies, getting even more surprised looks directed at her, but she remains blank as she strips off the rest of the armor.

"Uh Rae, you did hear what he just asked?" Cyborg says.

"Yes." She replies flatly. "How far?" She continues to ask Speedy.

"Whatever range you think is safe." The archer replies as he pulls off his bow, Raven moves to the end of the hall, making the distance similar to the one she had when she first encountered the three archers. "Ready?" He asks as Raven stands with her arms hanging down her sides with a bored expression on her face.

"Waiting." Raven replies as Speedy pulls his bow taunt as he takes aim and releases, the others, besides Kid Flash, don't see the arrow flying, but they all hear it impact with something metallic before it clatters to the ground as Raven brings up her left arm, making it look like she swatted the arrow out of the air.

"Wow…" Is all Jinx manages.

"Nice." Kid Flash adds. "But Roy never was that fast." He adds with a smirk that is almost instantly rewarded with a slap on the back of the head, by Raven. "Ow…hey?!" Raven just smirks at him.

"I seem to be able to access some of the Founders powers, Wally's included." Raven says before receiving a slap on the back of her own head form Jinx.

"It's only me that gets to hit him." Jinx says, getting a laugh out of Cyborg and Speedy.

"Yep, I'm Kid Flash, world fastest punching bag." The Kid sighs. "But you hit harder." He says to Jinx.

"Anyways, I can feel another one inside of me is growing impatient; take care till we meet again." Raven says before teleporting away.

"One day that girl is going to end up as some kind of deity somewhere." Speedy says as he walks over to find his arrow.

"Better hope not, she wouldn't want that." Cyborg says with all amusement having disappeared from his voice. "Anyways, let's go see if we can rent a big screen."

_Salem:_

"S...Still a little cold." Raven says with slightly clattering teeth as she appears outside of Fate's Tower.

"_Doubt that will change."_ Bruce mentions. _"Think it will matter?"_

"It puts a limit on how far I can travel in space." Raven replies, thinking about getting frozen solid in transit as she puts a hand on the wall of the tower, opening the portal to its interior. "I guess you want some privacy for this?"

"_She won't believe you aren't listening." _Bruce sends back.

"Would you?" Raven asks as she walks up the first staircase.

"_No."_ He says as Raven takes off and flies to the opening in the starry room that leads off to where Fate and the others will be and almost collides with someone big coming the other way.

"Raven?" The man asks.

"Captain Marvel?" Raven says in surprise at the big man, noticing there wasn't a scratch or burn on him. "Good to see you've healed."

"Thank you and likewise." He notes. "The Wizard mentioned your quest when I woke up and I was hoping to wish you luck before you went ahead with it."

"Thank you; think I am going to need it." Raven replies. "You've fought Adam before?" She asks.

"Oh, too many times really, you can guess we aren't really friendly."

"Is there anything you can tell me about his psyche, without breaking the deal I made?" Raven asks.

"Only that his ego matches his strength, one of his gifts is that he is virtually fearless, but he becomes unfocussed when angered. But I am sure you know what can happen when he gets like that?" Raven nods, having read that part.

"I may need to get him that way to lower his guard." She says.

"In that case, if you need to speed him along; he doesn't like being reminded that he was cast out by the Wizard. Also, he once lost his great love, Isis, to foul forces known as the Four Horsemen of Apokolips. No one knows how or why they came for him, but they did and Adam lost his first attempt at a family and peace. Today Khandaq, the country in which they settled, is a blasted wasteland, a testament to Adam's grief and rage." Marvel explains.

"_We have files on those." _Batman mentions.

"_Noticed the references."_ Raven sends back.

"Thank you for the information Billy."

"No problem, don't go easy on him if you have the choice, for he won't." Marvel replies with a smirk as they part ways. Him leaving the Tower and her heading down the maze of corridors.

"Welcome back." Fate says as Raven meets him at crossroad between the corridors further into the structure.

"Thank you; you know why I am here?" Raven replies.

"Indeed, she is down here." Fate says as he continues down the way he was heading, followed by Raven. "I can remove her hangover if you want to."

"No." Batman replies.

"As you wish, but she is quite sullen." Fate mentions. "How was it to meet Shazam?" He asks.

"Uncomfortable." Raven replies flatly. "Especially when he turned me into something…different."

"The other shape you mentioned?" Fate asks getting a nod, Raven hadn't told them much about the encounter before she had departed. "I suspected you might have one, but I couldn't prove it. The usual shape you took just seemed too…human, for the station you have."

"I didn't think I'm human enough to begin with."

"Well, we appreciate you are as human as you are. Zatanna is in here." Fate says as he points at a door before he walks on.

"_Do you want to go first?"_ Raven asks.

"_No, it's better she doesn't think she is being deceived."_ Bruce sends back. Raven takes a deep breath and prepares to face the sorceress on the other side of the door before opening it.

As Raven enters she finds Zatanna sitting inside a blue glowing circle that is just big enough for the bed she is sitting cross-legged on with a book in her lap. Raven admits the woman has looked better than with the almost wild hair and the ruffled and ruined dress shirt, from where she is standing Raven can see a sleeve of the dark jacket usually covering the dress shirt sticking out from behind the bed. When Zatanna looks up and her blue eyes lock with Raven's purple ones, she slams her book shut before standing up besides the bed. Raven can feel the woman's anger rise like a like fire.

"What are you doing here?" Zatanna asks. "Here to gloat? It wouldn't surprise me; your kind is like that." She remains silent as Raven shuts the door behind her before walking to stand before the containment field. "What? Nothing to say? Doesn't surprise me, your kind never have anything useful to say when it comes to the point…" Raven cuts her off by visibly rolling her eyes at her.

"If you are quite done, there is someone who wants to talk to you." She says before changing shape, replacing her features with Batman's.

"What are you doing Zee?" Bruce asks quietly as he hides his body under his cape, Zatanna just glares at him.

"You're not fooling anyone with that stunt Raven." Zatanna growls.

"This is me Zee."

"Shut up! Only my friends get to call me that!" Zatanna yells before banging her hand on the barrier that springs to life around her.

"You counted me amongst those for a long time, since your father taught me." Batman sighs. "You even used it as an argument once to explain why you were still following me."

"You…you raided his mind for that information!" Zatanna shouts, seemingly even angrier than before. "How dare you!"

"No Zatanna, Raven has done nothing like that to me…unlike you, remember?!" Batman replies while his voice turns low and deadly, the other Leaguers know that he doesn't like to talk about this. "You erased some of my memories." He continues as he pulls the cowl back to stare at her, Zatanna is at once almost falling back onto the bed at his tone and getting lost in his eyes. Unnoticed by either of them, a black tendril of power crawls off Batman and races along the floor. "Remember?!"

"It…it's really you?" Zatanna almost stammers, her voice having lost all of its previous anger. "How?"

"Raven is lending me her body for this; she lets me control her movements while she maintains my shape and keeps me from influencing her powers." Bruce explains.

"Sh…she would do that?" Zatanna asks.

"Yes, because she trust me into letting her having it back." Bruce continues. "Why the drinking Zee?" Zatanna looks away from him and folds her arms around herself looking very vulnerable. "Zee?"

"I…I couldn't deal with it; you kicking me out. When I got sent back to Gotham I needed something to make me forget it, guess it started there. It ate me up, the thought that I was proven wrong, that you believed someone other than me. The booze made it easier for me to sleep. I tried going back to focusing on my career, but I couldn't. I felt like everyone knew and were just laughing at me when I wasn't there. 'There goes the mighty Zatanna, once closes adviser to the League in matters magical, now just a stage magician.' I told my company that I would be out a week, saying I needed to clear my head, instead I went on a binge. If it wasn't in some bar in Gotham with John, it was in Shadowcrest. After I woke up on the station, I was only not drinking in the time span I needed to heal my jaw, that I still don't know how got broken in the first place. And now I'm here, hung-over and not a drink in sight." She sighs.

"You won't get one, you're better than that." Zatanna huffs at him, keeping her back to him.

"No I'm not Bruce. I enjoyed loosing myself as much as I hated waking up with a hangover and I want to do it again when Fate decides to let me out. I don't handle loss very well." She continues.

"Drinking won't solve it or make it go away, you know that."

"I know, but what else did you expect me to do? Rage? Go into a depression?! Or turn it into a source of strength like you?!" She asks as she faces him again with her anger growing again.

"I expected you to move on and try to make yourself better, like you did with your father." Zatanna just stares at him, while something inside of her breaks at the mention.

"You don't get it Bruce, what you did was the greatest humiliation I have ever experienced and the greatest defeat I have had to endure since I lost him! You know me, how I plan my stage acts to make sure they never fail on stage, you may be able to handle public humiliation, but I sure as hell can't!" Bruce sighs at her outburst.

"What you felt from that was entirely of your own making. You have a lot of pride Zee, but it blinds you more than you realize. There are things we can all be wrong about…"

"When have you ever been wrong about anything?" Zatanna cuts in.

"I thought keeping Robin close to me after that night with the Joker was the right thing, in the end I pushed him away. I thought when he left that he would come back eventually, but he didn't. I have several times been wrong about my priorities when it came to crime, sometimes with fatal consequences. I just don't let it affect me too much beyond from what it teaches me. I know what you need to learn."

"What do you know about magic?" Zatanna sighs.

"I am not talking about magic; did you know Superboy has a soul?"

"He's clone, born in a tube, he doesn't have one." Zatanna replies flatly.

"Raven disagrees with that, she met him when informing the Kent's about the current situation, she could see it, but it is smaller than it should be. We could see it as well, like a pale blue aura that surrounds a person. The lesson is to not jump to conclusions." Zatanna sighs when he finishes before replying.

"You would have jumped on her if you could sense what I did." She continues, returning to the argument about Raven.

"Maybe. But that's not what I saw; I saw a small, frail girl who had spent a good deal of time to work up the courage to ask for our help."

"Demons are known deceivers, when she appeared; I felt like I was standing in Hells doorway, the malice that poured from her was so thick I couldn't believe none of you could feel it." Zatanna replies.

"Do you still feel it now?" Bruce asks.

"I can't sense or affect anything beyond this." She says while knocking on the barrier.

"Did you sense it on the satellite?" He continues, Zatanna closes her eyes and thinks for a moment.

"I don't know, I wasn't looking at feelings, only a four eyed demon with red skin that had hospitalized me and gotten me into trouble with the League." She shrugs, Bruce does the unexpected and he crosses the barrier markings.

"_Wonderful, now we are all stuck in here." _Raven mentions.

"Now?" He asks.

"I…" Zatanna's surprise is quickly replaced with an air of professionalism as she takes a long hard look at Bruce. "I still feel like Etrigan is breathing in my face, but I can't sense the amount of malice I remember." She says after staring for two minutes. "What happened?"

"Raven explained it was not her malice you sensed, it was her fathers. You know how demons can affect their offspring better than I do."

"I do." Zatanna agrees. "Christ I could use a drink."

"Zee, if you want to continue along that path, it is your choice and I will intervene when it becomes too much. But I am asking you as a friend not to force me to do it. I will talk to the others if you get cleaned out, you will have to work hard to earn back the trust that has been lost, but I know you will get there eventually." Zatanna and Bruce lock eyes as he speaks.

"You…you'd do that?" She asks, half hoping, half not believing.

"I'd rather not have to worry about your condition when I'm out on patrol, not to mention Joker would probably take an interest in you, if you begin appearing in Gotham's alleys." Bruce replies with a smirk, Zatanna coughs stifling the laugh.

"Way to kill the mood Bruce. I will try to be better."

"You already are." Bruce says with a smile gracing his face, pleased that she seems sincere. "There is one thing we need to know, you were kidnapped and brainwashed during the last month."

"Guess that's why I have a hole in my head." Zatanna sighs. "What happened?"

"Luthor happened, a lot of heroes and unwilling criminals were treated the same way. But you, Katana and a man called Bushido were shown in public raiding a S.T.A.R. Lab's facility, you were opposed by a group of guards, of which there is no trace, except an arm." Zatanna eyes go wide with shock at the explanation. "For the families, we need to find them."

"I…I…don't remember anything like that. Before waking up on the satellite the last I remember is falling asleep in my apartment."

"This can be your first step." Bruce sighs. "Since we are all stuck here, I am going to ask you to work with Raven on this. And you two need to make peace." He says before letting his features fade, leaving a slightly miffed Raven standing in his place.

"The Bat God has spoken I guess?" Raven notes.

"I guess." Zatanna replies as her features harden slightly. "Can you even do something like this?"

"I can try." Raven shrugs. "What I do fear, is that I might get to see what you are missing as well, possibly something more." Zatanna seems to think about this for a moment.

"If you do, you can share some of yours with me, deal?" Zatanna asks while fixing Raven with a stare.

"I have to warn you about that, some of my recent memories are not something you'd want. And I am not sure I can choose what to share with you, assuming you mean sharing by linking minds." Raven warns.

"I'll take that chance." Zatanna says firmly. "Deal?"

"Deal." Raven nods, hoping that she won't see anything inside of Zatanna's mind. "So have you ever done anything like this?"

"Yes, unfortunately." Zatanna sighs. "I guess physical contact makes it easier for you as well?"

"It does, but I can do it without having to."

"Well let's make this quick." Zatanna says as she climbs onto the bed to rest her back against the headboard, Raven moves to stand between the barrier and the back of the bed while gently placing her fingers on Zatanna's temples.

"Try to relax, I know it will hurt both of us if I have to force my way in." She warns before beginning, Zatanna takes a deep breath before closing her eyes, behind her Raven's eye begin to glow white as she enters.

_Zatanna's Mind:_

As Raven opens her eyes again, she finds herself on the stage of a huge theater with red drapes and green wood framed seats, the only light is what is being shone on her from a projector hidden near the ceiling.

"_Figures."_ Shayera notes at the sight, she isn't in here with Raven but watching from the Council.

"Zatanna, can you hear me?" Raven asks ignoring Shayera.

"I hear you." Zatanna replies but remains unseen for a moment before she materializes before Raven. "Hmm, see what Hawkgirl means." She says as she looks around. "So what now?"

"I guess we need to look for something you don't know anything about, this is your mind after all." Raven suggests.

"So like a closet I don't know what is inside?"

"Yes, but it could be anything else, a piece of wood, possibly one of your props." Raven continues as Zatanna takes on a thoughtful expression.

"It's somewhere backstage amongst the props." She says before turning to walk behind the big green curtain bearing Zatanna's name in gold letters, Raven follows her, to find a huge dark area littered with the props she guesses Zatanna uses in her shows.

There are boxes containing wands, cages with rabbits, doves, mice and other smaller animals. Larger equipment includes several vertically orientated boxes Raven knows is supposed to be sawn in half with a person inside. A sour reminder of the time Raven was turned into a rabbit by Mumbo creeps into her head.

"I take it this looks all very silly to you." Zatanna notes as she browses the area, having often noted that Etrigan didn't have any kind of respect for her day job.

"I am not really into the spectacle of magic, but I was just reminded of a nutcase from Jump City."

"Mumbo, heard about him. Wasn't all of his magic in his hat?" Zatanna asks.

"It was, along with the craziness. Do you play fair with all of this?" Raven wonders, she knew already that despite being a practitioner of real magic, Zatanna was also supposed to be one of greatest in the fields of conventional stage magic.

"Mostly I do my shows without using real magic, but I often throw it in for the finish, like I usually say, 'save the greatest trick for last'." Zatanna replies as she eyes a box at the size of a man that has a top hat placed on top. "Strange, I don't recall this." This catches Ravens attention.

"Don't touch it!" She says suddenly as she remembers something, getting an odd look from Zatanna. "There is something you need to know."

"What?"

"I did meet you in the complex in Jump City and I am the one who broke your jaw." Raven admits. "But that is not why; I heard from Diana that you somehow caught Dr. Psycho's attention."

"Somehow I guessed it was you." Zatanna sighs. "Look I appreciate the warning, but if we have to find where I sent those guards, I got to do this, even if I won't like it afterwards." She says before placing a hand on the box. "Huh? Nothing?"

"Umm, perhaps what you are missing is inside of it?" Raven suggests.

"Guess so." Zatanna replies before trying to pry open the lid. "Damn thing is stuck, give me a hand?" Raven moves to pull as well, the two women strain till they think something will pop before falling back having pulled the lid open. "Nothing?" Zatanna notes as she gets up to look inside the empty box.

"It's not empty…you just refuse to see it." Raven notes. "I see a dark mass standing in it, but I can't tell what it is. Your hand is on it now." She continues as Zatanna puts a hand forwards slowly, brushes against the dark shape.

"I…I can feel it. Damn this is bad!" She say before doing what Raven feared she would, she jumps into the box that slams its door shut after her. A split second later Zatanna's scream shatters the world in her mind and sends Raven flying back into the real world slamming her back into the barrier.

Stunned only momentarily by the event Raven quickly gets to her feet as she hears frantic breathing coming from Zatanna, as she gets up, she seen Zatanna lying curled up on the bed clutching the sheet like it was the only thing that can save her while her eyes are completely vacant but panicked.

"Zatanna?" Raven asks, but receives no indication of the woman even hearing her. "Zatanna?!" Raven asks again as she gently touches the woman shoulder, this gets an instant reaction as Zatanna kicks out with her left leg colliding with Raven's ribs before she almost tumbles off the bed to the far side, looking even more scared than she was before.

"NO! STAY AWAY! DON'T TOUCH ME!" She screams while moving to get as much distance between herself and Raven.

"_I am going to calm her down."_ Raven sends inwards to the others before turning her attention to Zatanna, letting her empathy affect the woman slightly, trying to calm her. "Easy Zatanna, I am not going to hurt you, I want to help." Raven says while holding up her hands and moves slowly to appear non-aggressive.

"Stay away!" Zatanna continues as she shuffles away as Raven moves around the bed.

"I know you are scared, let me help you if I can." Raven says as she continues to approach slowly.

"You can't help me…" Zatanna sobs as tears begin welling up in her eyes, but she remains seated on the ground. "No one can help me."

"We can try?" Raven asks as she slows down even more as she comes closer. "What happened? I can feel it is tearing you apart, don't bury it."

"I…no…stay away!" Zatanna says half heartedly as Raven slowly sits down next to her. "I can't."

"Yes you can, you have to." Raven says quietly, feeling every emotion rampaging through Zatanna as she tries stemming them with her own powers. "What happened?"

"They….they…oh god….they raped me…." Zatanna whispers the last part, Raven hears it all the same and it hits her like a lightning bolt.

"What?!" Raven asks out of nothing else to say.

"THEY RAPED ME!" Zatanna screams into Raven's face before falling forwards to cling to Raven like a child while crying her heart out. The mortified Raven mechanically embraces Zatanna, the woman she feared and even hated for so many years, while being the only one to support her through this. Fate and the others soon arrive finding the two like this.

* * *

**Authors notes: **Because I've had the questions a few times now I think I'd better clarify a few things about this series:

1) Raven doesn't have siblings, however interesting the idea from the comics was that Raven embodied the original sin of Pride with her six brothers, I didn't like how that effectively threw the usual DC perception of the Seven Deadly Sins being entombed in the Rock of Eternity into the air. Also it ruined the dynamic between Raven and Trigon as I saw it; why would he want or need her when he had 6 others who'd gladly dance to his tune? For those who read it, much of this story was actually written before the New 52 was launched...also I am not sure if Belial father of Etrigan and Merlin is the same Belial eldest son of Trigon that appeared in the Phantom Stranger a few months ago, if thats the case Etrigan is effectively Raven's nephew.

2) Physical powers, ever since being introduced to the Godswater Raven has had the physical properties and abilities of a normal Amazon which includes, increased durability, increased strength that will eventually make her able to lift around 12 tons (in the world of superheroes its actually pretty low, Cyborg and Starfire has way more for instance), enhanced reflexes (if the JL episode Fury is to be believed; all Amazons can deflect arrows with their bracelets). Changing into her first demon shape however lands Raven closer to Wonder Woman's physical level than most, she is still weaker and slower than her, but she has her magic and other abilities to argument her. The Armor of Vengeance arguments this even further. The final form however...that's something I prefer you all read about :)


	10. Getting back up

"She's asleep." Raven says wearily as she closes the door to Zatanna's room after her, ever since Fate brought down the barrier, she has been aware of Fate, Inza, Jason and Amazo standing out there, waiting for her to emerge.

"Is it true?" Jason asks.

"Yes, while brainwashed, some of them did it to her, who or how many, I don't know." Raven replies without looking at them.

"How is the Batman taking it?" Jason continues while trying to calm his own rage.

"You don't want to know." Raven says, knowing the man's rage is pushing her own boundaries as she provides him with a legion of thugs to demolish. The other founders have withdrawn to the satellite.

"We will need to have her examined when she is well enough to cope with it, but we keep it quiet for now." Fate says getting a nod out of Raven, the last thing they needed was Zatanna's friends in the League forming a lynch mob.

"I will contact Pieter Cross." Inza says before walking off.

"What do the Founders say?" Amazo asks Raven.

"Nothing yet, they are holding a meeting." Raven replies flatly. "I need to go meditate."

Several hours later, everything inside of Raven has calmed down; the anger is gone from her and the others. She had confronted Bruce after half an hour about his anger, which surprised her, was only partially aimed at those who abused his childhood friend, it was also aimed at himself for reawakening that memory. After he calmed down a little, she suggested that they meditated together, reasoning that they both needed it. The others emerged from the satellite some time later and found them like that in Bravery's arena, which looked odd, because the two were sitting in a battlefield in progress. When made aware of their presence J'onn suggested that they all joined in as he also could sense the still rampaging emotions around them. Diana, Wally and Shayera, were more inclined to go hit something or didn't have the patience, but joined in anyways because it wouldn't solve anything. Because of Wally's accelerated way of thinking, it took him the longest to get it right. For Raven it was at first a little strange to have a group session, which she hadn't had since the last morning on Themyscira, but it proved to be very effective as she learned how much the Leaguers presence was actually influencing her mentally. As she opens her eyes in the real world, she finds that she is not alone in Fate's library either where she is floating above the table. To her right sits Inza, in front of her floats Dr. Fate and most surprisingly, to her left floats a haggard looking Zatanna who has changed into a clean set of clothes, Raven can understand why she needs the inner peace now.

"We all needed this and your presence seems to make it easier." Fate mentions, Raven quickly checks if she is still unconsciously forcing her empathy on those around her, but finds it inactive as it should be.

"Glad I can help." Raven replies while wondering if anyone else had the same experience around her, and if so, why hadn't anyone said anything before noticing Zatanna and Inza opening their eyes as well.

"I need something to do." Zatanna says flatly, the others nod in agreement; she needs something to focus on.

"There are the missing guards." Raven notes.

"It won't make any difference to them if they are found or not." Zatanna sighs. "Katana and the man took them apart before I got rid of the remains. But you are right, the families deserves to get them back."

"Raven, perhaps you would you care to enlighten us on the task Shazam set you on?" Fate asks, Raven had only mentioned the result, not the means and Marvel hadn't given any details either.

"I have to get Black Adam to the Rock of Eternity, currently he is being held on Oolong Island and I have to do it alone. I have the matter of Adam himself down; problem now is Oolong which could contain all manner of obstacles besides that I don't know where on the island they keep Adam."

"Black Adam? Can you even take someone like that down?" Zatanna asks in surprise.

"I have to try, but I did unintentionally knock Captain Marvel out while at the Rock, so I have a chance unless Adam is more durable than him."

"How did you do that?" Fate asks.

"I…erm…tried to hit Shazam with a ball of fire I spat out after he did something to me, Marvel jumped in the way and took the blast."

"You spit fire?" Zatanna asks while raising an eyebrow, Raven sighs.

"If we can get Jason down here, it will be easier to explain."

"Good thing I was near then." The redhead says as he walks into the room with a cup of coffee in one hand, the other in his pocket. "You make good coffee." He notes at Inza.

"Thank you Jason." Inza nods while Raven gets up and hovers over to the side and removes her boots.

"You all already know I look like this." Raven says as she transforms into the first stage as she is beginning to call it internally. "This was because of a dragon I ended up like this." She says while looking at Zatanna. "Yes I was half demon before and still am, but I looked human, Malchior just reversed that. It took me half a year and a meeting with the Phantom Stranger to be able to change back. When I got up to Shazam, he decided to expand on what the dragon did and forcibly transformed me into this." She says as she changes to her most monstrous form, Jason ends up coughing on his coffee is surprise and Zatanna's eyes go wide and slightly scared as Raven gets back up on her feet.

"Your true form?" Fate notes.

"I'd prefer calling what I was born like as my true form." Raven sighs. "This isn't me; I don't want this to be what I am." Raven replies with a hint of sadness.

"But what is 'this'?" Zatanna asks.

"Jason, what am I?" Raven counters as Jason has put his cup down, knowing the man or rather Etrigan would be able to confirm what she thought it was.

"A demon queen, an archfiend as the ruling class is called." Jason says while studying Raven with his mystic eyes. "By all conventional rules, you shouldn't even be on this plane…but that will be your humanity that allows it."

"And Etrigan?" Raven asks.

"He's…intimidated?" Jason realizes a bit surprised. "But he knew you had this lurking inside of you."

"That's a new one." Zatanna notes at Jason's reply, mainly because save for Raven, the others had actually seen Etrigan leap at the Spectre thinking he could rip him apart.

"Not really." Fate adds. "Soldier demons are bred to fear the upper classes."

"It keeps them in line." Jason sighs. "While Etrigan normally fears nothing, Raven has already defeated him once with impunity; that will stay him from attempting for a long while if not pushed to act. The night we met was the usual pecking order being established, if it was not him attempting to stop you realizing this." He continues as he sits down.

"The Founders have tried to aid me in figuring out how to handle this, but I still don't know how I knocked Marvel out." Raven sighs.

"Hmm, I may be able to make a pocked dimension you can explore your capabilities." Fate mentions.

"I don't think I have the time I'm afraid, Shazam fears those who are holding Adam will soon be able to control or clone him."

"You need to talk to Mr. Terrific about Oolong if you have not done so already." Fate replies.

"Yeah, he mentioned he was invited over when they started up." Raven replies while changing back, looking drained when she finishes.

"Looks like it hurts?" Zatanna notes.

"It does." Raven sighs as she steps into her boots. "I guess I'd better get going."

"Wait, I need to know, did you get them?" Zatanna asks.

"The ones who…did this to you?" Raven asks, not knowing who actually did anything, but she has a pretty good idea, Zatanna nods. "I didn't want to ask you till you were ok to talk about it, but we got everyone in that rat hole."

"Zee, who did it?" Jason asks, Zatanna immediately seems hurt by the mention.

"I remember Dr. Psycho, Dr. Light a…a…and some blonde girl…but, it's all a mess." It's disheartening for Raven to watch Zatanna come apart again in her chair, as much as her rage tries to rise again.

"Terra..." Raven sighs as she rubs her eyes as she digs up a memory of what Terra had also done. "Why didn't I see that?" She growls in irritation.

"I…I heard someone call her that." Zatanna stammers, fighting her tears back. "D…do you know her?" Raven nods without looking at her.

"Former Titan, sold us out to our greatest enemy and now murderer of several of us, and now this." Raven sighs while wondering if there was nothing Terra wouldn't do, and this latest act was just considered a bit of fun to relieve boredom and to test how little Zatanna and the others were aware of. "She incapacitated J'onn so I searched her mind, Azar…I can she what she did…" Raven says as Zatanna breaks down again, Raven doesn't know if it's the others presence inside of her that makes her walk over to comfort the woman with a hug.

"_You were overwhelmed by the death of your friends."_ J'onn says from the inside.

"_I should have kept calm and seen this." _Raven sends back.

"_No use thinking about that now, when Adam is retrieved you need time to sort through it all."_ Superman continues as the others begin to dread what else might have happened.

"_They will be dealt with later; you need to focus on the job at hand."_ Bruce growls, Raven knows that tone doesn't bode well for the three. _"When you get up there, talk to Kyle."_

"_Raven to Watchtower."  
_

"Watchtower receiving go ahead Raven." Mr. Terrific replies.

"_I need a trip and a talk with you."_ Comes the reply over the communications device.

"Coming right up." He replies as he types in the coordinated he sees on the screen in front of him, pinpointing Raven's location just outside the Tower of Fate. The huge machine that is the teleporters hum softly before a lighting up the blue pads on top and a person takes form on the central one. The woman steps off immediately after reforming before flying up to Mr. Terrific. "Guess this is about Oolong?"

"Yeah, I need to know anything you might about of the insides that wasn't in the files." Raven says as she lands next to him.

"Hmm, there's not much I can say about it, considering it's been two years since I was there." He says while patting the empty seat next to him for her to sit on before bringing up a small map on one of the console screens. "When I was there, Oolong was just these two buildings." He says while pointing at two separate squares on the screen before showing an aerial movie of the complete complex on another screen. "The building over there was the first managers quarters, now it's probably Cale's unless she moved it. Everyone else bunked and worked in the other one. Hold up, think Cale lives in that one." He says while pointing at a number of small squares far from the rest of the complex. "Only one that looks like a luxury house form above." He mentions. "From what I can guess, her old quarters will be where everyone will be sleeping now, if they do that is. The old hall, where we were received, will most likely have undergone numerous changes since I was there, since it was an old aircraft hangar with holes in the roof, now it looks like a fortified bunker."

"So you can tell me where they live, and not much else?" Raven asks feeling a bit disappointed.

"Well I can tell you where they get their power from." He says before bringing up an island map, marking three spots with circles and lines. "We know there are two nuclear power plants very advanced from what I hear, and unstable." He says while pointing their locations out, but there is nothing on the image that looks like a nuclear power plant. "They hide it because they don't want the UN to know they have them. Officially it is all run on this small hydropower plant. Telemetry shows that most of the power is directed into the main hall here." He says while his finger traces from the plants to the largest square on the screen. "I doubt its Adam they are spending all the energy on, but it might be worth looking into if you can."

"I thought Adam would require a lot of energy to pin down?" Raven ventures.

"Not really, even he has limits and once pinned, it won't take much for them to keep him that way. Even if we knew when they got hold of him, it would be hard to pinpoint him, since they start up projects all the time while terminating others. I doubt even most of the scientist know what the others are doing." Terrific sighs.

"A jealous sort." Raven notes.

"Very, I managed to see two of them getting into a fight over who had invented the better robot. Guess you want to know what to expect as well?"

"I suspect you can't give me anything accurate?" Raven continues.

"No, but it will be beyond state of the art stuff. Killer robots, genetically grown beasts, enhanced trooper's, whatever you can think science can come up with will be found on that island. Like I said, it's a collective of mad scientists, never let anything fool you, it could be lethal."

"Anything you could advise me on using?" She asks while considering an approach that didn't involve brute force.

"Stealth and magic, that's all I can say really. People like you, Fate and Zatanna continue to baffle scientists like me with the things you do, and it will be the same for the people down there, but don't think it's a get out a of jail free card." Terrific makes a point to lock eyes with Raven to make sure she understands.

"I didn't think this would be easy." Raven notes dryly. "Thank you for the information." She says as she gets up.

"No problem, just come back in one piece." Terrific says before turning back to the big screens. "Oh, before I forget, Batman wanted you to come to the informal meeting room if you got up here while he was up here."

"Ok." Raven replies before heading off.

"What makes you so sure she will show up now?" Kyle asks as he sits at the otherwise empty table while leaning his head on his fist while playing with a glowing green yo-yo.

"I have my ways." Batman replies without turning from the viewing ports as a series of knocks is heard from the door."That would be her." He says as the door opens and Raven enters.

"I heard you wanted to talk to me?" Raven says after closing the door. "Hello Kyle." The Green Lantern waves at her as his toy disappears.

"Yes, Green Lantern is here because I know how a man inside your head wants to do this, and so am I." Batman says.

"Ok, and how is that?" Raven asks.

"Oolong is a sovereign nation, recognized by a number of nations and is currently working on being accepted by the UN. If a member of the League is seen attacking it, it could prove damaging for the League, both legally and publicly as they have methods of making it look bad for us. Also, there is the very real threat of you being captured during this, I won't say that I will happen, but the chance here is bigger than almost anywhere else. I know how tough you are, but we have to limit the damage it can do in case you do get caught and detained. For that reason, I am going to ask you to hand over you League credentials." Richard says firmly, but Raven can tell he is feeling bad about extending his hand for the items. "You will get them back when you return." He says as he receives the small communicator and the card carrying Raven's number, name and hooded image. "Now there is the problem of appearance, while you may think you are a very small blip on a screen for most. These people can get access to any information they want, and that includes the files Waller has on you. Even with the other shape you have, the lines between dots will be connected, the eyes will give it away."

"So Kyle is here to…?" Raven asks flatly, cutting him off, feeling very much like she was back in the Tower getting lectured by Robin.

"Throw idea's out for your new disguise." The man says with a smile as he animates a pad and a pencil.

Two teeth grinding hours later Raven exits the meeting room with a two broadly grinning men in tow. Raven isn't sure how thankful for she should be for Kyle's presence in the League. The man is skilled with a pencil and has a mind for the wildest ideas, which is to his credit, mostly. Some of it however should have remained inside of his head. She had to insist why she wouldn't pretend to be a Japanese manga style robot or some half-dressed bikini model with a huge sword, it did annoy her even more when she noticed how much Richard was enjoying the visualized suggestions Kyle came up with. Bruce had begun grumbling as well, which made them both take it a little more seriously. Richard had suggested Raven initially made landfall as boat refugee washing up on the shore since Oolong is situated between China and the southeastern archipelago of Asia, while fugitives from the south are not as numerous as those attempting to flee North Korea, they still happen. They had agreed it was a way on getting onto the island without triggering any alarms a flying human would, since they had agreed that arriving with all guns blazing would be foolish, since Oolong had captured a man who had a habit of arriving like that. In the end they had come up with the specifics of a disguise where Raven could be in her human form but appear to be someone else. Raven had sighed deeply when she realized that if she arrives as a refugee, she would have to leave everything behind from the world that could be associated with her, including her clothes and bracelets. And when things got ugly, and they would, she would have to look ridiculous.

"Oh friend Raven I have found you!" Just what Raven needed, between snickering men and emotionally ruined sorceresses; Starfire. She looks odd Raven notes with a raised eyebrow, Richard notes it as well.

"Starfire. Why is there stuffing in your boots?" Raven asks noting a white string of something sticking out of her right boot, and it's also in her top. Combined with the malnourishment and scars, Starfire looks like toy assembled from bits of two bits of different models.

"I am…erm…trying to look less like the malnourished." The alien princess says as she lands, Raven can feel the words spoken hours before still stings her friend.

"I will get you a diet and a training regime to get you back in shape." Batman says.

"What did you want Star?" Raven asks as Starfire seems to become happier, Richard always had a way of making her that way just by speaking to her.

"I was looking for friend Beastboy but was informed that he had gone with the Patrol of Doom to the Island of Oolong and it occurred to me that you would soon be there too. I was just afraid that you may find yourselves on opposing sides, tell me he has not done the Terra?!" As quickly Starfire had gotten happy she's shifted into near panic.

"No, he has not Star." Rave replies after shoving the image of the blonde into a deep dark hole in her mind. "The Patrol is hoping one of the scientists will be able to cure some of them. But that may put them between me and what I need to do."

"But does that not mean you will have to fight them?" Starfire asks seemingly shrinking.

"It may." Raven sighs, she hates that thought.

"But…"

"Star, I promise I won't hurt them if I can avoid it, Garfield least of all." At Raven's mention of the changeling's name, something seems to flare inside the alien, the same thing Diana practically radiates. "You love him, don't you?" Behind her she can practically hear Richards jaw hit the floor, Kyle just seems puzzled.

"I…I think I do." Starfire stammers while looking at the ground as if it was something to be embarrassed about.

"Star, that's wonderful." Ravens reply has Starfire looks up in surprise. "It's not a thing to be ashamed of. Does he know?"

"I do not know." Starfire admits."I have not told him." Raven just nods at her.

"He is a little sensitive with Terra and all of that right now, but he will see it." Raven says while patting her friends shoulder. "But he will find it funny if you keep stuffing your clothes like that."

"Perhaps I should go to him then?" Starfire asks, apparently having forgotten what that could mean.

"No, there are bad men on that island Star, they will think of you like your sister does." That seems to do the trick and Starfire takes on a defeated expression.

"I shall await his return then. But what do you think friend Robin?" She asks the man in black behind Raven.

"You deserve each other Star." He says with a smile, Starfire squeals before hugging Raven and Richard before flying off, presumably to tell Cyborg. "The whole station will know before Gar."

"Yup." Raven agrees.

"Was she always like that?" Kyle asks.

"She never grasped the language completely." Richard replies while thinking of all the trouble those two would get into.

"_He needs to know about Zatanna."_ Bruce says.

"Umm Batman, a word?" Raven says before walking into the meeting room again, Richard shrugs before walking inside again while giving Kyle an appreciative nod.

"What's up?"

"There's some bad news you need to hear about Zatanna." Raven sighs, noticing the happy atmosphere disappear completely from Richard. "Because of the guards missing in Seattle, Zatanna needed to have her memories back of what had happened during the time she was brainwashed."

"What happened Rae?" Batman asks quietly.

"Psycho, Light and Terra raped her." Richard almost explodes on the inside at Ravens quiet words.

"What?!" He shouts.

"I am sorry." Raven says before looking at the ground, the action almost has her missing Richard storm out of the door.

"_Stop him!"_ Bruce yells from the inside and Raven is almost out the door the same instant, quickly seizing Richard in her power before teleporting them both back into the in meeting room, sealing the door shut before dropping him.

"Let me out Raven!" He yells at the door that refuses to open. "I'll kill her!"

"Richard breathe!" Raven says firmly while putting a hand on his shoulder, she hardly sees the movement, but she feels the flat hand striking her right cheek causing her to pull back in surprise, while keeping a hand on the wounded area. "Look what she's doing." Raven almost whispers her plea to the seething man facing her, something seems to click inside of Richard and he immediately goes from enraged to appalled and concerned.

"My god…I...I'm sorry Rae, I don't know what came over me!" He says before moving forwards quickly to give her a hug. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, just surprised me." Raven says before freeing her arms enough to return the hug and rests her head on his shoulder. "Just don't let her destroy us."

"You are right, she is tearing us apart."

"We have to hold onto each other; Terra will face her judgment eventually and she will face it utterly alone." Raven sighs.

"Wonder if Etrigan would like a chew toy or something?" Richard asks half jokingly, getting a slight chuckle out of Raven.

"We shouldn't make fun of something like that."

"Join the dark side, we have cookies." Richard sighs before letting go of her. "How is Zee holding up?"

"She is very fragile right now, but Fate will keep her mind off it if he can."

"Good, you will leave tomorrow, go back to Gotham and get some rest; I want to go see Zatanna."

"You may want to wait a little; Inza had paged Dr. Mid-Night to have her examined." Raven sighs.

"She will need a friend then." Raven nods slowly at his reply before they part. "Sleep well."

_Wayne Manor:_

"_Before you turn in, there is one thing I need you to do." _Bruce says as Raven is changing into her nightwear.

"What?" She asks.

"_The computer."_

"The failsafe?"

"_Yes."_ Bruce replies as Raven teleports down into the cave.

"_Charming as ever." _Shayera notes, she could count on two hands how many times she's been here.

"It's s good place to sleep." Raven sends back as she lands on the top platform. "And the bats are used to humans."

"_Don't tell me you befriended them?"_ Flash asks, Raven just smirks before spreading out her arms and focusing slightly, the cave ceiling seems to come alive as the thousands of bats drop down from the ceiling and swarms the central area where Raven is standing. _"Watch out!"_

"Don't worry." Raven says as she calmly closes her eyes as the bats swarm around her, feeling them brush against her skin as some get too close. "Feels like a welcome home greeting." She says as she opens her eyes again as the bats retreat again to go on their nocturnal hunt.

"_You're really weird, you know that?"_ Flash asks.

"Half-demon, remember?" Raven says feeling amused as she sits down in front of the computer, levitating the few droppings she finds off it. "So what do you want me to do?"

"_Bottom right of the screen."_ Bruce says, Raven notes the small tray there only has one other icon besides the clock, a small hourglass which she activates. _"I will send what you need to type." _He continues as the first password is being asked for. She gets several of these screens, typing in long numerical codes, names and long lines of gibberish before the last one is done leaving Raven to watch the desktop of the computer and the files there, finding a file carrying her name on it on the bottom of the column along the other clan members, where the Leaguers were apparently clumped into the folder labeled JLA._ "You don't need to look in that, not yet at least."_

"Keeping secrets are we?" Raven asks amused and having a strange sense of pride.

"_Many, but it is time for sleep, you will need it."_

"Agreed, let's hope it's without nightmares this time." Raven says before teleporting back to her room after logging off.

_Later, Raven's Mind:_

"Watching stars or is it dreams again?" Diana asks with a smile as she finds Bruce lying on a hill with his hands under his head in Happy's realm, like Raven, her emotions generally go to sleep or remain mostly inactive when she does. Both J'onn and Bruce suspect there are representatives of Dream and Nightmare on Ravens council somewhere. The only emotions that didn't seem to sleep, is Rage and Hatred, judging from the muted screams heard from their realm.

"Thinking." Bruce replies as Diana sits down next to him.

"About?"

"Whenever we have a right to return." Bruce replies flatly without looking at Diana. "Luthor killed us; by all accounts we shouldn't come back. We tempt death on a daily basis and now we seek to cheat him. Perhaps Raven shouldn't have to risk life and limb for some who are already dead."

"I think you are being affected by our condition." Diana sighs, admitting she is also beginning to feel it. They don't need to breathe, they don't tire and they don't need to eat or drink, not that the spectral food they can get in the market place has any taste to them.

"It's like everything has lost its flavor." Bruce says continuing her line of thoughts.

"Wonder how the Azerathians handle this?" Diana sighs feeling depressed.

"We require less than you do." A woman's voice says from behind them, making them turn around finding Arella walk up the hill towards them.

"Arella, what brings you here?" Diana asks as the two get up.

"You did, I can sense what you are going though; trouble adapting to being here." Arella says. "Believe me, it was difficult for some of us to adapt to it as well, some couldn't and left."

"What did you mean, we need more than you?" Batman asks.

"Simple, we Azerathians lived a life of peace, we needed nothing more than what we had in life, yet now we have less in a way, but we need nothing more than what we have. Unknowingly you crave more than what you have and you know you can't get it." Arella explains.

"And what is it we want?" Diana asks.

"A real world." Arella replies flatly. "We are a spiritual people, the body holds no real value to us, but the spirit is in high regard. For us this is life, only by another route."

"I suppose that's true, I do miss the air, the sun." Diana sighs. "And the senses I seem to have lost in this place."

"They are still there if they are a part of your mind. Alas the sun never truly shines in here, but the stars are beautiful." Arella says as she looks up.

"I miss its warmth." Diana mentions.

"That cannot be replaced, except with the feeling of warmth from others." Arella says without looking away from the stars.

"You're right; it is warmer when others are near." Bruce confirms.

"Doesn't this existence grow intolerable for you?" Diana asks.

"No, we have our prayers and our way of life. And I am more in contact with my daughter now than I have ever been before." Arella gives Diana a sad smile that tells volumes how much she loved her child and grieved for the lost childhood she was never a part of.

"If you could, would you return?" Diana asks.

"Unless Azerath could be restored? No, I left your world and its ways many years ago and I have not regretted that once." Arella replies with a firm voice.

"People aren't meant to return from the dead." Bruce sighs returning to his original thoughts.

"No, but even we of Azarath know of the terrible Spectre of Vengeance and the Phantom Stranger, we did before Raven encountered either of them. But we know they serve their purposes, neither I nor Hemon are in any doubt that the Stranger asked you to wait for more than to cheer Raven on. We are strong believers of prophecies, think of this as has having been decided beforehand, you were all meant to die that day as you are perhaps meant to return to the land of the living. For what reason I cannot guess, but perhaps years later you will remember this event so that I may aid you." Arella's explanation seems to strengthen Diana immeasurably yet Bruce remains gloomy.

"We of Themyscira have our own prophecies and I will hold onto your reasoning Arella of Azerath." Diana says as she gives the woman a short bow of respect.

"I don't like it, not being in control of my life." Bruce says quietly. "Was it decided that my parents were gunned down in an alley? Was it destined that I tried to avenge them in this fashion? Did I even have a choice in the matter?"

"Nothing is set in stone Batman." Arella says. "Raven was born knowing she would destroy the world, while she did accomplish that, no one had foreseen that she and her friends would endured and retaliate. We didn't, but often tried scrying for knowledge of an aftermath while she was raised." Arella tries.

"I think Bruce needs to hear this another way, think of a prophecy as a glimpse of a future based on the actions and choices made in the past, that is why all prophecies are uncertain to a degree, they only show a future based on a series of choices, make a different choice and the result will be different." Diana tries.

"Yet some things are set in stone." Bruce sighs.

"A Batman may have been destined to emerge, but who's to say it may not have been another than you? Or what that person could have taken it to?" Arella says.

"Owlman." Bruce sighs, reminded of an alternate version of himself.

"One choice you made years ago may have made you him." Diana mentions.

"He still must have had a trigger to begin." Bruce continues.

"Not at all, he may just have gotten up one day and decided to do what he does." Arella says. "While I do not know you or your parents, it was your choice alone to do what you do now; you could have chosen a different course of action and ended up with a different result."

"I know many people are grateful for, the choices you made." Diana says while fixing him with a gentle stare. "Me included." Bruce just sighs before he turns around and walks away. "He will never be able to talk about it." Diana sighs after he is out of ear short.

"Doubt he'd be the same man if he could." Arella agrees. "If he was to become one of Raven's emotions, I fear he'd end up in Rage's realm."

"Rage is not always a bad thing." Diana cuts in.

"In Raven's case it was before the demon was separated from it. Now I do not know." Arella continues while looking at the ground.

"But she is free of it now?"

"As long as the demon is contained, yes. But such things have a way of finding their ways out. How and when is impossible to say, with the life she leads. Do you think Batman will let go of life?" Arella asks, changing subjects

"No, he is not the one to change his mind. I think it is because he is close to his parents now, just one decision and he could be with them again, if he really wanted to, he would never have come here."

"I see." Arella nods. "I won't need to ask you to make sure of that?"

"Of course not, I doubt the rest of us could cope with him suddenly leaving." Diana replies. "But that is not why you are asking."

"No, I am asking on Raven's behalf, though she doesn't know about it. It may just be coincidental, but she regards Batman and the man beneath the cowl as a kind of father figure." Diana manages to look surprised at this, making Arella continue. "He was the first man from Earth who showed her something other than fear and contempt, when she learned about him and how others regarded him, she decided he was the ideal model she could aim for. To become something like him one day, instead of falling to the whims of her father."

"It is a noble aspiration, she will reach it one day." Diana says with a smile.

"Unfortunately, I agree what he does is a noble thing, but as a mother I fear she will condemn herself to a lonely life, one she shouldn't have to live." Arella sighs.

"She won't." Diana says firmly. "Like Bruce she just has to open her eyes to the option, and I am determined to open his."

"You are a good friend to her." Arella gives Diana a smile. "But I do hope you don't intend to tie her up every time you have to open hers." Diana just gives Arella a devious smile.

"Only if she proves too stubborn. You disapprove?"

"It is truly not my business to know such things." Arella shrugs.


	11. Embrace it

"RAVEN!" The sudden yell has Raven jump out of bed while still partially asleep, her powers begin flowing around her as she looks ready for a fight, still dressed in only the large black T-shirt. She almost leaps at the figure in the open doorway before realizing who it is.

"Richard?" She says with confusion leaking into her voice as she calms down. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?! Look at you!" Richard almost yells as he turns on the light.

"What are you…?" Raven doesn't finished the sentence before something wet runs down the side of her nose, the smell has her raise her hand race to her head, finding a huge gash running over her forehead. As her hand comes back covered in blood, she notices her bed is drenched in the same liquid. Raven looks once at Richard once before she storms past him and barricades herself in the private bathroom. The t-shirt is practically blasted off her as she stands before the large mirrors behind the sink, revealing the previously white underwear now as soaked as the bed in blood, and a host of cuts, bruises and burns that covers her from top to bottom.

"_Raven? What's….by the gods." _Diana's voice filters through her mind.

"Raven, are you ok?" Richard asks from the other side.

"I…I don't know." Raven replies, startled by the wounds.

"Raven let me in; I'll get you to the infirmary." Richard says from the other side, when he receives no reply, the door is kicked open before he enters, finding Raven frozen by her own mirror image. "Raven?"

"I…I don't know where I got them." Raven manages without breaking off from the mirror. She doesn't register it happening before Richard has scooped her off the ground and carries her out of the room in his arms and races down the hallways of the manor.

"ALFRED!" Richard yells as he runs down the main staircase. "IN THE CAVE!" He continues as he uses the secondary cave entrance, a doorway hidden behind a bookcase, opened by a piano. "Can't this thing go any faster?" He growls impatiently as they ride down the very old elevator before everything goes dark before he finds himself standing on the medical platform in the cave.

"You can put me down Richard." Raven says as he looks around confused.

"You're hurt; you shouldn't use your powers for that." He continues as he puts her down on the bed, before racing off to find bandages and the other instruments needed, it's as he races up that Raven notices he is only wearing a pair of black boxer shorts. "Damn it, where is everything?!" He grumbles as he returns empty handed, if he wasn't so obviously panicked, Raven would have found this amusing.

"Richard, I am not hurt." Raven says as he comes close enough for her to grab his arm, he looks at her in confusion.

"You're bleeding heavily, must be the loss of blood." He mumbles.

"Richard!" Raven says fiercely. "Calm down!"

"Master Richard, I heard your…oh dear." Alfred exclaims as he comes down the stairs, wearing his pajamas under his morning coat.

"What's the commotion? Whoa!" Tim says as he comes down right after Alfred.

"Ok, everyone stop!" Raven says firmly as she gets off the bed. "I feel fine."

"Sure don't look like it." Tim adds, before receiving a glare.

"But Miss Raven, how did you get them?" Alfred asks.

"How did you avoid waking up?" Richard continues.

"Look, I went to bed and woke up with them…what were you doing in my room?" She suddenly asks while staring at Richard.

"I…erm…" He begins as Alfred begins staring at him as well. "Later, you're hurt."

"I feel fine…" Raven says before her eyes roll back into her head and she collapses, only to get caught by Richard before she hits the ground.

"Damn it, it me that's supposed to be this stubborn." Richard says as he puts her onto the bed, where she awakens again, blinking a few times.

"Blackout, urg, now I know where I got them." She says as she sits up, ignoring Richards attempt to push her down. "It's the demon."

"Miss Raven?" Alfred asks but keeps his distance.

"What demon?" Tim asks.

"What? Oh, it's my other half." Raven sighs.

"You kept that somewhere inside of you." Richard mentions.

"Yes, before that fight, my anger was completely tied to it. Now my anger is my own, and not my fathers. I left my demon side with Rage. I guess that may not have been the best idea now." She says while looking down herself.

"This is Rage doing this to the demon, but it's affecting you here." Tim surmises.

"Yes, it seems to be it." Raven agrees. "I need to meditate."

"Not before those wounds are bandaged." Richard says firmly, worried she would bleed out.

"Whatever." Raven shrugs before lying down, floating above the bed and closes her eyes.

_Raven's Mind:_

"Raven, thank the gods you are ok." Diana says as Raven appears in the council room where they others are gathered as well, it had not gone her by that they mostly stayed here.

"I'm not ok just yet." Raven says.

"What's going on?" Superman asks, Raven gives him a smirk.

"It seems to be that I cannot continue treating my demon half as I do now." She says before a piece of white cloth materializes in her hand. "I only have two options now and I think you should see it, follow me. You too Hemon, Mom." She says to the group as the two ghosts enter through the door. The group flies down to the door to Rage's domain before flying down the tunnels, getting greeted by another scream as they enter the huge cavern. "Anger stop." Raven says as they fly over the floor towards the demons cell, finding Anger and Hatred standing silently at the open door. "Release it." Rage moves aside as Hatred pulls the demons shackles out of the wall before dragging it out by the hair, accompanied by its whining before it is dropped before Raven's feet. They all note that it is sporting every wound Raven has in the real world, confirming her theory. "Look at me." Raven says quietly with menace leaking into her voice. The demon looks up at her, Raven didn't think it possible for a demon to look so utterly hurt and terrified as this one does. "It seems I can no longer keep you like you should be kept for all the misery you have caused me."

"I…I…"

"Shut up!" Raven snaps at its attempt to speak, it immediately curls up on the ground, scared to look at Raven. "I only have two choices now regarding you. One is your utter annihilation, sending you into oblivion." The demon curls up even more at the mention. "While I am willing to brave the consequences of doing that if I have to, you have a choice in the matter. Choose oblivion and the pain and fear goes away with you, or you choose this." Raven says as she holds out the piece of cloth waiting for the demon to raise its eyes to see what she is talking about, it seems surprised.

"You...I'd…"

"You become a true part of me, no different than any of my other emotions, you will be treated like the rest and you will have a seat on the council. So you either work with me and like it or you go to the place nothing returns from, it is your choice." Raven says still holding the cloth.

"But…I'd surrender everything I am…I'd be nothing." The demon finally braves to looking Raven in the eyes.

"Untrue, you will be you and still have a voice on the council, you just won't have the freedom you previously enjoyed and everyone will know you for what you are. Rome once leveled their greatest enemy; Carthage, with the ground before building a new city on top of it. In this case, you are Carthage, what's it going to be, rehabilitation or the salt?" The demon seems to think, while still locking eyes with Raven for a full minute. The others can see it bare it's teeth at her for a short second, seemingly about to attack before it slowly lowers its head in submission as it takes hold of the edge cloth. "Good." Raven says as she lets the cloth fall over the demon, covering it completely. The cloth seems to come alive as it lands as it wraps itself around the demon that begins struggling against it. The struggle is short as the demon is soon wrapped tightly inside a cloth cocoon.

"Raven, what is going on?" Shayera asks.

"As you saw, what it was going through down here was beginning to affect me in the real world, something I am beginning to suspect you are also doing, but in a much smaller degree. In the past she and I have been very much two people in the same mind, one I constantly had to fight. Now I make her do what she tried to do to me." Raven explains without taking her eyes off the still cocoon.

"She is embracing you as she tried to force you to embrace your father." Hemon says.

"Correct, from now on, she and I become one. I will no longer have her as an excuse for anything I do, no more fighting to keep her down. That is why you are here." She says to the group as she turns to face them. "I am letting you know that from his point forwards, I am no different from anyone else who makes an inexcusable mistake, no internal personality taking over me. Now, rise, Demon." Raven says, as the cocoon unravels and a figure stands up as the cloak changes color and material. As the others watch, the figure raises her head behind Raven's back, revealing it to be Raven's first demonic form covered by a deep red cloak that seems to be constantly running with blood.

"No…I am no longer a demon." The new emotion says. "You have utterly destroyed that part, I am; Carnage." She says with Raven's calm voice as Raven turns to regard her.

"Indeed, I am the demon now." Raven says. "Carnage it is, now go to your room." The emotion lowers its head before marching into the cell and closes its door behind it.

"About time, we were about to make room for Malice down here too." Anger says, sounding relived, it surprises everyone but Raven.

"I really hate her." Hatred sighs.

"Hey aren't you two supposed to be, erm, angry and hateful of this?" Flash asks.

"Oh we are." Anger says. "But we aren't as mindless as you may think; actually I think I have more of a mind now with her around." The emotion continues as she thumbs at the closed door.

"It will represent the red mist where no reason can reach me." Raven says while rubbing her eyes. "Where you have to stop me, by any means, no buts, and no mercy."

"That's a little harsh?" John notes.

"I believe you all know what kind of state of mind I will be in. I won't be a person, rather a maddened animal with no restraint at all. I need you to promise me, if we get you back, that you will do what is necessary if I ever become that. If I fall to that level, I don't want to wake up to find out I have injured or killed someone."

"You're asking us to kill you." Flash says.

"Yes." Raven confirms.

"It's a promise." Batman says. "If we cannot contain you."

"Bruce, I am talking about the point where even Joker thinks I'm too nuts to be around." Raven argues.

"I swore long ago, I would never take a human life. But you will be put down if we cannot contain you." Batman continues.

"It's the best you are going to get." Superman adds.

"I doubt any of us will like it and hopefully it will never happen, but you got it." Shayera says, getting nods from the two 'Johns' in agreement with her.

"Death before dishonor." Diana says quietly before nodding, she wouldn't have it any other way either.

"Well this is all very gloomy, but I don't think you will come to that." Flash adds.

"Azerath will have abandoned you by then." Hemon says. "But we will only leave if asked to."

"And I promised you long ago." Arella says with a rock hard voice, betraying how much I really hurt hear hearing all of this.

"You did and I hope you will never have to live up to it. Thank you." Raven says, feeling relived.

"Well, I don't know about you lot, but it will be over my dead body I let her run the show." Anger says from behind Raven.

"Me too, I still hate her." Hatred adds.

"Well you hate everyone and everything." Anger shrugs at her colleague.

"That she does." Raven agrees. "I trust this solution suits you better Superman?"

"Very." Superman confirms.

"Good, I apologize for the abrupt awakening for some. But we should get back."

"I'm getting weirded out by the floor." Flash whispers to Shayera.

"I've been meaning to change that." Anger sighs. "It's more Carnages style anyways."

"I will leave you to the redecorating." Raven nods at the emotions. "Bruce, a word?"

"Sure." The man replies before they depart.

"I hear you are considering not returning." Raven says from the top of the satellite as Batman lands behind her.

"Mind reading?" Bruce asks.

"Filtered into my mind while I was sleeping." Raven replies. "Are you?"

"Yes." Bruce says quietly, wondering if Clark will hear the conversation.

"I understand why." Raven sighs as she turns around to face him.

"We aren't meant to return from the dead."

"Perhaps, perhaps not. But who says you are dead?" Batman looks at her, prompting her to elaborate. "Your souls have been forcibly separated from your bodies, that is called astral projection and as you know, I do that a lot, and from what I have read, Fate and Zatanna can do it as well."

"Our bodies are decomposing." Bruce notes.

"Not really, there is something about them, I can't say what exactly, but I have a hunch that the Spectre didn't put you all back together just to have you rot away. I'm sure enough about that to say that we could leave them outside of the League morgue for weeks and still nothing would happen to them."

"My heart is not beating and my lungs do not draw breath that usually has doctors to declare a man deceased." Batman counters.

"Actually the rules of first aid say ones head has to be visually being separated from the body before you can stop trying to apply first aid." Raven counters flatly. "Richard drilled that into us, you wouldn't believe the amount of times he had to repeat that to Beastboy." She continues, reminded of the sessions with the plastic torso. "Think of what we are doing now as first aid and the Spectre was kind enough to put Clarks head back onto his shoulders."

"Are you telling me you won't let me leave?" Batman asks in an almost hostile tone.

"Not at all, all here are free to leave if they want, my emotions excluded. I am just trying to convince you not to leave simply because it may be easier for you." Raven replies calmly as Batman walks up to stand right in front of her, appearing very menacing.

"Not all roads have to be the long ones." He says while towering over her.

"I can guess why you are conflicted; you are so close to them you can almost see them, but do you think they would want you to come to them because they are close or it's easier?" Raven replies calmly.

"Don't!" Raven doesn't need to be an empath to know he is beyond angry now. "You never knew them!"

"No, I didn't. But I know no real parent would want you to give up in a situation like this." Her reasoning earns her a lightning fast slap to the side of the face, thought it doesn't make her break eye contact.

"You're moving out of Wayne Manor." Batman says with a voice that has turned low and deadly, Raven appears unaffected by the order.

"Would they want you?" Raven continues. "If you insist on finding out, then you are not the man I thought you were, think about it." Raven says as she fades from view in time to avoid a second palm passing through where her head was, leaving Bruce to seethe at the spot on the ground she occupied before he spots a very shocked looking Superman floating far below the station.

_Back in the Batcave:_

"Why am I dressed like a mummy?" Raven asks as she wakes up in the cave completely wrapped in bandages.

"Your wounds weren't healing." Richard notes from besides her. "What happened?"

"My theory was correct; it was the wounds the demon suffered that were surfacing. It left me with offering it two choices, be cast into nothingness or become one with me. It chose to live." Raven replies as she sits up.

"Erm, is that supposed to make any sense?" Tim asks.

"Split personality becoming one." Richard replies, getting a nod from Raven as she begins peeling off the bandages. "You shouldn't."

"I'm healed, look." She replies, pulling off the ones covering her head, revealing it to be completely healed.

"Good thing that was all Dick's work." Tim adds. "He was worried sick."

"Alfred went up to make breakfast." Richard continues. "It was time to get up anyways."

"Did you just get home or?" Raven asks, returning to why he was looking into her room in the first place.

"Home, was about to turn in." Richard replies suddenly realizing where she is going. "I was just checking up on you, honest!" He says while waving his hand in front of him defensively as Raven gets off the bed, cornering him between her and a few monitors.

"Why?" Raven asks.

"Well…I…erm…" Richard begins.

"Just tell her Dick, before she makes you." Tim intervenes, deriving much amusement from watching the two.

"Ah..well…" Richard tries again.

"Well what?" Raven tries.

"I…I…am just worried that you would just disappear again without a trace." He finally manages. "I don't want to lose you again."

"You never lost me Richard, thank you for the concern." Raven says giving him a warm smile before turning away.

_Later that day, over the Yellow Sea:_

"_Raven is there a reason why Bruce is acting like an angry bear?"_ Superman asks several hours after Raven and Richard have left Gotham in the jet. That time has been spent by Raven to mentally prepare for what's coming, reading a few files on the noteworthy people on the island and ignoring the dirty pink sweater Richard handed her before departure along with an old pair of pants.

"_Isn't he always?"_ Raven sends back, Bruce and her hadn't spoken one word or thought since the meeting on the satellite and she hadn't relayed his order.

"_Not like this." _Superman continues. _"Even Diana gets the ice stare."_

"_Must be one of those days."_ Raven shrugs.

"_Why did he tell you to move out of the Mansion?"_ Superman says firmly, a quick scan of her mind tells Raven he is having his arms crossed and that he is alone.

"_Don't tell any of the others this. Bruce is having doubts about coming back he thinks it's not supposed to happen. I confronted him about the real reason why."_

"_His parents."_ Superman surmises.

"_I asked him if they would want him to go to them when there is a chance for him to continue."_ Raven sighs.

"_He doesn't like talking about them. So he got angry."_

"_Yes, but since he is still present I think it was worth it." _

"_Kicking you out of Wayne Manor? I hope you realize you may have burned all bridges to him now?"_ Superman continues in a concerned tone.

"_If that is the price for returning him as well, then it is one I pay gladly. Besides, there is still hope he will admit I am right."_

"_And how do you know? Perhaps he is right, as usual, that we shouldn't."_ Superman asks while waving his hand in front of him as if Raven was in front of him.

"_Bruce knows many things, but he's not the expert on souls and magic. Also, I don't believe a being like the Spectre puts you all back together just for the funeral, everything he does has a purpose. And his sense of humor only applies to those he passes judgment over. Finally there is something about your bodies that isn't supposed to be there, I can't say exactly what it is, but it keeps them fresh."_ Raven explains.

"_You were only out for a few hours and you didn't see ours when you dropped Nemesis off." _Superman argues.

"_You need to be attuned to sense it, but I could and it was more than just residue from what Moonface did."_

"_And Zauriel, Fate and Zatanna didn't notice?"_

"_Zauriel is an angle; to him resurrection is stealing even if you never left this plane. I don't know why Fate didn't see it, he should be able to, at least I think he should, not to mention he might have sensed something but chosen not to speak about it. And, well, Zatanna had been drinking, alcohol tends to ruin sights and senses that are mystical. When we get back, we can ask them to have a look."_

"_If we make it back."_ Superman notes._ "So Zauriel considers this stealing, what about you?"_

"_You are supposed to be eternally optimistic."_ Raven sends back while smiling to herself. _"But if you are asking me as a human, I will tell you that I am doing first aid the way I can. If you ask Etrigan? He would probably eat you in your current state."_

"Rae, hate to break up the internal conversation you are having, but we are coming up on the drop off point." Richard says from up front.

"_Raven, get ready." _Bruce cuts through with a voice completely devoid of emotion.

"_Commander in chief is still here it seems." _Superman sends. _"We will be in the council chamber."_

"Got everything you need?" Richard asks.

"Yup, nothing except myself and an ugly sweater, how far do I have to swim?" Raven asks as she puts away several printed files she has previously been reading.

"20 kilometers North East, that way." Richard points with a black gloved finger.

"_Sloppy." _Bruce growls from the inside, inwardly Raven guesses she is in for a treatment with the Iron Glove as Richard called it when nothing seemed to be up to Bruce's standards.

"Remember, no flying and no powers or they will see. Use the currents to help you."

"Got it." Raven says as she changes her appearance to an almost skinny, dark skinned girl with high cheekbones with black hair and brown eyes. "Going to slow down?"

"No can do, but at this range, you should be able to use your powers for a safe landing!" Richard yells as the top hatch opens. "Rae?!"

"Yeah?!" Raven yells back as she unbuckles.

"Good luck!"

"Thanks!" Raven yells before leaping out of the plane after gathering her powers to slow her speed and cushion her impact with the water, the black shield ends up resembling a surfboard as it skips three times before Raven drops into the cold water. Poking her head over the water, she sees the Bat-Wing disappear in the evening horizon.

"_Get moving."_ Bruce grumbles.

"Got at least 20km to go in freezing waters and with sharks in it if I remember correctly, no, I will stay here." Raven replies before taking the first strokes.

_Later:_

"_20km, my demonic butt!" _Raven growls internally, it had been dark for a long while now and she was sure she had spent at least four hours in the water by now.

"_Less complaining."_ Bruce sends back, it had been the same all the way, Raven sending one message, primarily to the others and Batman knocking her on the head for either going to slow, using too much energy, making too much noise and so on, Raven had just started to ignore him.

"_You're doing fine as long as you can see the island."_ John replies, Raven had noted that Batman was actually distancing himself from the others, moving further and further back into the council room. _"Getting closer isn't it?" _It is, what was a small black spot when she was dropped off, has now become a bigger black spot, but it seems to be still far off.

"_Fortunately." _Raven sends back as she keeps swimming, though clawing at the water is a better description, she is beyond tired now, but she keeps going with little grace. _"Two kilometers I take it."_

"_Keep going." _Bruce continues.

"_Way to go Raven!" _Wally cheers as Raven is within 500 meters of the coastline, where the surf is visible now, even in the dark.

"_Yipee."_ Is all Raven can manage at this point; swimming was never her strongest suit.

"_Mind the bottom; hear sea porcupines make their home here."_ Superman mentions, as Raven can feel the current finally beginning to work with her, instead of against her.

"_Float face up the rest of the way."_ Batman says, finally offering something useful to the swim. And Raven turns around and let's herself be carried along. As she floats, she looks at the stars trying to not fall asleep, in her exhausted state of mind she doesn't sense the part of the creature she is being carried towards before she feels the stinging tentacles on the top of her head.

"Nrg…!" Raven exclaims in surprise as she raises a hand to her head that also comes into contact with the tentacle, at what is first a stinging and burning sensation is quickly turning into numbness, paralyzing her as more of the stringy tentacles comes into contact with her skin.

"_Jellyfish, the actual body can be far away."_ Batman says without a note of concern in his voice as Raven slowly stops moving, leaving her to float through the tentacles.

"_Can't move."_ Raven sends to the others, admitting to herself that she is scared, it's like the others notice.

"_Stay calm, you are ok as long as you are protected by your clothes."_ John says.

"_H…how long w…will it last?"_ Raven asks, hoping that she wasn't going to drift out to sea again.

"_With your constitution, a matter of hours."_ Batman says._"You should have paid more attention to where you were going."_ Raven has to clamp down on herself to not snap back a reply; he is deliberately pissing her off, or trying to.

Right now she is reminded of one of the stories Richard told her and the others about how brutal Bruce could be during training, Richard was young and Bruce had him practice against a stationary mechanical contraption that was supposed to increase his agility, awareness and precision, the first few times Richard got his butt served on a silver platter and the contraption didn't go gentle with him. That time Bruce had not cared at all for the bruises Richard got, only that he got up and repeated, hauling Richard to his feet when he couldn't do it himself, ending up with Bruce walking out of the cave with Richard lying defeated in front of the robot covered in bruises.

* * *

**Authors Notes: **Next up Oolong Island's unfriendly immigration & custom services.


	12. Oolong Island

"_Mr. Terrific calling Batman."_

"Batman receiving." Richard replies as he crosses over the Pacific Ocean at supersonic speed.

"_There is a Katarina Samson calling me about an appointment you made with her and is requesting to be allowed onto the Watchtower?"_

"Yes, I asked her to come up and evaluate Terra. I need to know if she is heading towards Arkham or Iron Heights." Richard replies as the Easter Islands and its statues pass below him.

"_I see, she also says she is offering her assistance to those who might need it after Jump City?"_

"That is correct, without Raven or J'onn immediately available; we need to see if Samson can make the others who have been abducted remember what happened, in particular Bushido and Katana."

"_Understood. Zatanna as well?"_

"Let her know the offer is there, but don't force it on her." Richard knows Zatanna well enough to know that talking to people about her problems was not going to happen unless she wanted to.

"_Got it. So did you drop her off?"_ Terrific continues, switching subjects.

"Yup, she should be reaching the island about now." Richard replies. "Anything I need to know about up there?"

"_Only that your alien friend is growing restless, on one hand she wants to go see Terra and on the other; she is trying to work out how that diet you gave her works. From what I hear, she is trying to adapt it to some of her native ingredients or to some that reminds her of those."_

"Same old Kori, a word of advice, don't eat anything she offers." Richard says while smiling fondly at the memory.

_Oolong Island:_

"_Think I moved a pinky."_ Raven sends, trying to sound amused and keeping her exhaustion out of her voice. As long as she is paralyzed, she doesn't dare fall asleep. So far time seems to have slowed just for her, making the night seems eternal as she lies on the beach in her cold and soaked clothes, but she can see the dawn is coming.

"_Really?"_ Wally asks with some optimism leaking into his voice, it was his turn to keep her company, besides Batman who is still there, but remaining silent.

"_Fantasy I am afraid."_ Raven sighs, she wonders a bit how her presence here could have gone unnoticed for so long as she has been on the beach for hours now.

"_Morning patrol should be passing by soon." _Batman mentions.

"_Morning to you too."_ Raven sends to the man, she had read about the patrols since she had expected to be picked up by one. Actually in the distance, she is sure she can hear a motor over the ocean. _"I think it's coming now."_

She waits for some 10 minutes as the sound steadily becomes stronger before he hears voices as well.

"I don't get why they have us walking this damn route every morning? No one's stupid enough to come here." A mechanically filtered voice complains. "And there's hours worth of cleaning after every patrol."

"Would you rather mind the nutters pet beasties for the same pay?" Another voice says, it's higher pitched than the other, leaving Raven to assume the speaker is a woman.

"No Sarge." The first one sighs over the rattle of an engine. "Hey what's that?" Raven finds herself in the cone of a flashlight before Sarge replies.

"Looks like another dead refugee to me. Go check it out Joe." Raven can't turn her head to see Joe dismount but she can still hear him, she doesn't even move her eyes as a heavily armored shape comes into view.

Raven can't tell what material the plates are made of, but the armor on his body does give the impression of his muscle structure, much like Raven's own, only bulkier. The helmet only covers the bottom half of his head, leaving his bald head and beady eyes visible, while his mouth and nose is covered by some kind of gas mask. In his hands he is carrying a large rifle of a strange design that looks a little too advanced to just fire bullets.

"Well, is it dead?" Sarge asks, getting Joe to poke Raven's ribs with the nozzle of his weapon, she doesn't say anything since she can't, but her eyebrows twitch at the contact.

"Against all reason, nope. But it's not far from it by the looks of it. Can we throw it back?" Joe asks as he watches Sarge dismount and walk over as well, the shape of the person confirms Raven's guess that Sarge is a woman. She is wearing the same type of armor as Joe, only that her rifle is slung over her shoulder and her helmet covers all of her head, the top that Joe is missing has the superficial design of a hard hat, but covers the eyes behind two large red lenses that glow slightly.

"Hmm, think it might have hit one of the jelly fish. Strange I didn't hear any reports of any ships passing nearby." Sarge says as she looks from Raven to over the ocean. "Guess we have to bring her in for questioning."

"Guess it was worth getting up this morning!" Joe suddenly sounds happy now, inwardly Raven's alarm bells are blaring, but she remains calm, she can't do anything anyways.

"Well, get her loaded up and we will head back." Sarge says, before walking back to the vehicle. Joe shoulders his weapon before bending down and hauling Raven up and throws her over his shoulder, giving her a glimpse of the old fashioned brown jeep the pair had arrived in.

"With all those nuts in there, I wonder why we still drive around in something like this." Joe notes as he walks over and throws Raven into the back, the rough treatment has her head bumping off the deck, but leaving her with a view of the rear of the truck.

"Beats me, probably too lowly for them to bother." Sarge shrugs as Joe gets in before she turns the truck around and drives back along the beach, with Raven bumping along in the back.

"_You should move now."_ Diana mentions.

"_Can't, unless I take those two out and I am still paralyzed."_ Raven sends back, although she is regaining feeling in her limbs again. _"Also, these two are expected back somewhere at some point. I will go into a deeper state of meditation till we arrive somewhere."_

"_Don't." _Bruce cuts in.

"_I will be aware of the world around me."_ Raven says before shutting off. While resting and healing herself, she is only dimly aware of the numerous bumps her head receives on the journey before they begin driving on a paved road that eventually turns to concrete, accompanied the increasing sounds of activity around them. Joe and Sarge continue their chitchat, occasionally breaking off to greet someone they pass by. Raven feels a sudden lurch in the jeeps movement before the road seems to become rough again for a while before stopping. Raven is aware of being picked up again before she is carried inside what she feels is a small building or room. Once inside she is puts down again on a table or board before bands are tightened over her ankles, wrists, chest and neck. As a door slams shut the table is suddenly tilted so Raven is standing up, she fakes that the sudden movement wakes her as she peeks at her surroundings with half opened eyes. Finding it to be nothing more than a tin shed built on the bare ground, made of riveted metal with several holes in it that allows the light from the outside to filter inside. Right in front of her, is a table with two terrarium's on it, one containing several large scorpions, the other a very large furry spider.

"Rise and shine cupcake." Joe says as he removes the piece of his armor that covers his lower face, revealing him to have shaved his black beard away hours ago. Raven decides to play victim a little longer, in hopes of either of the two let something slip on their own.

"Eh?I Wha..?! What's going on?" Raven says as she awakens fully, lacing her voice with enough accent to make it seems convincing as she struggles against the bonds holding her.

"Why you have had the fortune of having landed of fair Oolong Island." Joe replies as Sarge takes off her helmet, revealing her to be a woman with long blond hair and cold blue eyes. "Unfortunately for you, your fortunes aren't very good." Joe says giving Raven an unsettling smile.

"_Mercenaries."_ John says with contempt._ "Don't feel bad about anything you might do to them."_

"Listen kiddo, to wherever you came from, you are dead. Meaning no one will come for you and no one will ever know you ever ended up here." Sarge says as she locks eyes with Raven who quickly shy's away. "From now on, you are the property of Oolong Island and we can do whatever the hell we want with our property!" She continues before flipping the table over so Raven's head is hanging slightly lower than her feet, Joe is quick to throw a piece of cloth over her face.

"Please…I...I have done nothing!" Raven pleads still keeping up the act.

"Oh but you have. Violated borders, illegal immigration, causing us trouble..." Joe says offhandedly, before Raven hears a lid being removed from something, a few seconds later something beings splashing against the cloth covering her face, concentrated on falling on her forehead. While not physically painful, it is very, very uncomfortable and Raven throws her head from side to side to avoid it, only to have someone hold onto her until the water stops falling.

"Now, who are you?" Sarges voice cuts through as Raven heaves for air through the soaked piece of cloth. "No? Well there's an answer for that."

"Ng…no!" Raven manages before another stream of water, falls onto her forehead, this time she is forced to take it all before the cloth is removed, leaving Raven to nearly hyperventilate herself.

"You know, if you keep this up, we may have to employ other methods of persuasion." Joe says as he looks down on her upside down. "So by all means, keep resisting, no one can hear you out her." To his surprise, Raven gives him a big smile.

"That's all I needed to know." Raven says before vanishing in an instant.

"WHAT THE?!" Joe yells at the now empty table, Sarge stares at it for a second before turning to the door.

"Door's blocked!" She growls as she heaves against the thin metal door that refuses to open when it should be. Joe has already picked up his weapon and is already scanning the room as he moves to stand with his back to Sarge and the door.

"Uh, Sarge, what's that?" Joe asks, getting the woman to stop her fight with the door and look over her shoulder, past the table a black flame is steadily growing out of the ground.

"Don't know, kill it!" Sarge yells as she pulls out her own rifle and begins shooting, the blue bolts of their weapons pass right through the flame, burning large holes in the walls, revealing nothing but black on the outside, leaving the single light bulb in the shack to illuminate the room.

"Not working!" Joe yells.

"Of course it's not." A voice says from behind them, before they are shoved forwards into the room. Joe crashes into and over the table with the force while Sarge crashes to the ground after managing to turn around to land on her back. The woman is quite agile it seems as she is quickly back on her feet to face the figure now standing before the door and fires a single shot at the head. The blast is deflected at the last second, before the figure lets the shadows that covered it fall, revealing a tall red skinned woman with four glowing yellow eyes, with an impetuous gesture with a hand Sarges weapon is sent flying into the wall thought no contact was made.

"What the hell are you?!" Sarge growls as she storms forwards with a raised fist to strike the figures head, she doesn't see the movement of the figures hand, but hers is stopped by a palm.

"My turn to ask questions." Raven says as she turns her hand slowly, forcing Sarge onto her knees with pained expression on her face as she grabs her immobilized arm.

"Drop her!" Joe yells, Raven turns to look at him standing with his weapon ready, aiming at her head. "I'm warning you! I will shoot!"

"Are you sure? That doesn't look like a gun." Raven asks without changing her facial expression. Joe keeps staring at her down the barrel of his gun. That is until the barrel buckles and twists for the mouth to face him, revealing it to have changed into a black snake with fangs.

"WOW!" Joe yells before tossing the gun at his feet, as he looks up from it he is greeted by Sarge's backside that crashes into him sending them both to the ground.

"Now then, I have a few questions for you." Raven says as she plants one foot on Sarge's stomach, trapping them both on the ground. "Oh and rest assured, I can be very unpleasant if lied to." Raven says to the two wide eyed guards as she gives them a wicked smile.

_A little while later:_

"Where is Cale?" Raven asks calmly the frantic woman squirming in her grasp, Joe has been unconscious for a good while now, but that is not what Jennifer, or Sarge as she prefers being called, is seeing. To her eyes, Joe is an already half decomposed corpse being eaten by a swarm of insects. Jennifer herself had torn off her own armor when she felt something moving beneath it, leaving the blonde in a white top and underwear. She isn't uninjured, as she had tried lying, which had earned her a handshake that left her right hand with most of its bones broken. "Well?"

"I…I…can't…" She stammers.

"Sure you can." Raven says as she grabs the woman's left shoulder. "Or do you really want to find out how much this can hurt?" She continues as she digs her fingers into the shoulder, Jennifer begins struggling even more, kicking Raven several times with no effect as blood begins appearing at her shoulder.

"Arg!...No!...Nnnggrrr…" Jennifer stops fighting, instead she squeezes her eyes shut and bites her lips to ignore the pain as tears appear again. "West side…mansion…" She finally sobs, Raven smiles brightly as she pulls her hand away.

"See, that wasn't so hard. Now do you have access to her?" Sarge looks up at her with puffy red eyes.

"I'll never lead you to her." She huffs defiantly.

"That wasn't what I was asking. Do you have access to her?" Raven asks, while idly poking the wounds she had made, punctuating each word of the last sentence.

"Y…yes…"

"Good." Raven says as her features change into a replica of Jennifer, who stares at her wide-eyed. "Now, you sleep." Raven says in Sarges voice as the woman first nods her head a few times before she is fast asleep.

"_That could have been done faster and without injuries." _Batman says from the inside, finally Raven decides to respond.

"_Yes, but I don't invade a mind unless I have to, and I couldn't guarantee that it wouldn't hurt them permanently anyways. And it's not like you are any better with trading injuries for information."_ Raven sends back to him as she begins to put on Sarges armor.

"_I could teach you in how to extract information painlessly."_ J'onn mentions.

"_I will decline that offer J'onn. That it hurts me and them reminds me that it is wrong that I shouldn't be doing it."_

"_Nice way of holding the moral banner high." _Flash adds. _"But remind me I don't want to watch any scary movies you pick."_

"_The Tower was once haunted for a night after I wouldn't admit I got scared during a horror movie."_ Raven admits.

"_Really? Then you should come around Barry's house at Halloween."_ Wally continues as Raven slips on the chest plate. _"Man loves those kinds of movies."_

"_Like you."_ Shayera adds.

"_Um, yeah…"_

"_Raven, are you sure getting Cale is such a good idea?"_ Superman asks.

"_From what I gather, she will most likely be the only one who knows every project in progress." _Raven sends back.

"_So what's the plan, till you reach Adam?"_ John asks.

"_Extract the needed information about his whereabouts and reach him, without raising alarms, hopefully."_

"_And that with a self appointed president missing?"_ Superman continues.

"_She won't be missed."_

"_That won't last; they are bound to notice you aren't her."_ Batman adds.

"_Will last as long as it will, from there things get messy."_ Raven sends back as she puts on the helmet before heading out.

_Elsewhere on Oolong Island:_

"So the mighty Doom Patrol has been reduced to doormen." Robotman sighs in the metal hallway outside Niles Caulders lab that the Patrol is loitering around in.

"It was solid." Mento adds. "Gar?" Beastboy had been in a mix of disappointment and rage since Mento had visited Caulder, and he wasn't hiding it.

"What?" Beastboy growls but not bothering turning from the wall he is leaning on to face the others.

"We warned each other." Mento says, having given up on his usual attitude which didn't work on Garfield for the moment. "And we have a job to do if she comes this way."

"You have a job to do; I'm not going to stop her." Gar shrugs dismissively.

"Yes you will, you heard that Caulder is working on a cure for you too. Something your friend risks ruining." Elasti-girl says, this has Garfield turn around to face them with an angry expression on his face.

"I never asked for one!" He snaps. "I like what I am, to me this is normal!"

"Honey you can't be serious, look at us." Elasti-girl continues.

"That's Nile's talking." Beastboy says flatly. "Ever since I came back from the Titans, he's been running everything the Patrol was into the ground. Having us run around the globe for bits to his projects that we rarely see anything off and now we are on an island populated by the Brains colleagues! What happened to the whole fight evil thing huh?"

"Guess we wanted it to end." Robotman shrugs. "And your friend isn't gonna ruin my chance for a normal life."

"You couldn't stop her even if you tried to Cliff." Beastboy shrugs. "And I think you will all be sorely disappointed with Caulder." He continues before turning into a falcon and flies off.

_Near the west coast of Oolong:_

"_Extravagant."_ J'onn notes as the huge collection of buildings that is the presidential residence come into view, to Raven it looks more like a tourist hotel she once saw in a catalogue, one Beastboy had once shoved in her face during one of his campaigns to take a vacation, something Robin always stonewalled.

"_Tourist hotel."_ Raven sends back as she regards the building built on wooden posts painted white and black pyramid shaped roofs. She had elected to walk up to the 'palace' to get the last of the jellyfish poison out of her system, and so she wouldn't have to admit she doesn't know how to drive a car, which would feel like an embarrassment.

"_So, what now? I doubt these people let grunts brush shoulders with Cale offhandedly." _Superman notes at the two armed guards posted at a ramp leading up to the house.

"_Now we hope their scanners aren't so advanced that they can detect me."_ Raven says as she walks up to the ramp, strangely enough the two guards don't even seem to notice her as she passes by them._ "Why am I slightly worried by that?"_

"_Good scanners, protocol, or you may have picked one of Cale's closer subordinates."_ Batman mentions, Raven was assuming that his gradual return to the other Leagues meant his mood was improving.

"_Last one would make this too easy." _Shayera echoes Raven's own thoughts as she walks in the front door, to a reception with a green carpet, circular oak desk and a curly brunette behind it, who looks up from her computer as Raven enters.

"Jennifer, thank God you got here, Cale's been all over the place for you. Get to her office before she decides to tear your head off!" The woman almost shouts at Raven who looks at her in surprise for a second before running down a corridor indicated by a finger.

"_But not impossible."_ Shayera sighs.

"_And I was hoping to get out of this bucket." _Raven continues as she runs, guiding herself down the hallways by emotions and the number of guards. Finally coming to a closed pair of wood doors with two guards posted outside, where she slows down to a walk. As neither of the guards notice her, Raven wordlessly walks up to the door and knocks.

"Come in." A woman's voice says from the other side as Raven opens the door and walks inside the first thing she notices, is the gun pointing at the side of her head. Raven slowly puts her hands in the air, as the gun wielder pushes the doors closed again. "Remove the helmet." The woman says as she walks into view, revealing her to be a blond in her 40'ties wearing a pair of white pants and a short mint green jacket and a long pearl necklace.

"_Veronica Cale, self appointed president for life of Oolong Island."_ Diana mentions.

"_Wonder if the tea grows here?"_ Raven sends inwards as she unbuckles the helmet.

"_Originated here, was taken back to the mainland where it was then grown." _Batman continues.

"Hmm, whatever you are, you are good." Veronica says as she studies Raven's stolen features.

"Ma'am?" Raven asks without taking her eyes off the gun dancing in front of her.

"Even the voice, I'd say you were the Martian, but he wouldn't usually bother coming here, so who are you?" Cale says confidently.

"Ma'am, I am first sergeant Jennifer Hale." Raven says as she lowers her hands to stand erect before the armed woman.

"No you're not." Cale says before firing a blast right past Raven's head. "I have been aware of your presence here since you washed up on the shore. Who are you?"

"_An interesting thing about Cale and a well hidden fact, she suffers from Coulrophobia."_ Batman mentions.

"_Clouro…what? What's that?"_ Wally asks.

"_Fear of clowns."_ Raven sends back knowing a bone when she saw one. "I may have decided on a different approach?"

"Hardly, he's with the League and they can't risk an international incident with a stunt like this. Last chance, who are you?" Cale says as she gives Raven a hard stare, Cale nearly jumps out of her shoes as a horn in blown into her ear.

"Hurray for Captain Spaulding, Hurray!" Cale turns her gun to the figure yelling in its overly jovial voice and Raven can feel her sudden fear erupt as she grabs the gun with both hands. The figure doesn't however seem to be overly bothered by this as he pockets his canister. It is a big, overweight man with a white painted face with blue and black makeup around his mouth and eyes along with red painted cheeks and a small black beard. He is wearing a tiny red top hat along with blue, red and white jacket and blue and white striped pants. His jovial smile is blown away with the rest of his face by Cale, who has backed up to a closet, landing him flatly on his back with his feet sticking into the air while one hand plants a flower on his chest.

"What are you doing?!" Cale growls as the gun is pointed back at Raven who hasn't moved.

"Whoo-hoo-hoo!" Cale is knocked over as the closet door is opened and a figure windmills his way out, wearing a pair of big red shoes along with a mostly yellow overly plush outfit with blue sleeves. His face is also painted white, with red lipstick and a large mane of blood-red hair and a red plastic nose. As he comes to a halt next to his fallen comrade, he bends over and pulls the man up by the healed nose and the two begin dancing around in the middle of the room arms locked together. Raven appears not to notice Cale again raising her gun and fires at her, letting it appear as if her head is blown partially away, revealing something with green hair hiding underneath.

"Oh, you shouldn't have done that Doc." Raven says with a changed voice as she turns to Cale as the two clowns stop dancing and faces Cale as well.

"What the hell are you?" Cale growls as she fires at Raven again, this time getting dodged. "GUARDS!"

"Really Doc, I'm insulted you don't know me." Raven continues as she pulls away at the remains of Jennifer's features as the armor falls to the ground at her feet, revealing a gangly man in a purple suit, having used the time to make this a private meeting.

"J-joker…" Cale heaves as the Clown Prince of Crime kicks her gun out of her hand.

"Captain, Pennywise, I believe we need to cheer this woman up!" Raven continues with a deeper voice.

"Hurray for Cale, hurray!" Captain Spaulding yells as he and Pennyworth skips over and picks up Cale by her feet and shoulders.

"NO! What are you?!…Put me down!" Cale yells as she is hoisted into the air, before the two begin tossing her up wards, knocking her into the ceiling a few times.

"Now, put her in the comfy chair!" Raven says as she lets Cale fall all the way to the floor before the two other clowns picks her up and carries her to the chair behind the desk, Cale looks dazed by the treatment, it isn't improved after she is spun around a few times as Raven sits herself on the table waiting for Cale to talk again.

"What are you doing here?" She asks while sinking into her seat to get away from the trio that is crowding around her.

"Oh, I heard about this charming little island you had made for yourself and I came to have a look-see. And I gotta tell ya, this place is even more abysmal than ol' Batsy on a rainy day. So I've decided to cheer you all up with a party, and as you know all parties should start with a big bang!" Raven says as she pulls out a detonator from one of her pockets. "Those power-plants should light this place right up."

"Wait, you'll kill everyone!" Cale almost leaps out of her seat as Raven toys with the red button under her thumb, but is held back by the two other clowns.

"Oh really? Jee, I hadn't thought about that." Raven says while playing into the role and puts on a wounded expression. "You're right, the party would be kinda short." She lights up a second later. "Say I got a great idea, I hear you keep a real party animal here, let say we let him out?"

"W…who?" Cale asks as Pennywise makes shadow animals on the wall with Spaulding, using her lamp.

"A charming fellow they call Adam, likes pulling the limbs off people."

"Him...?! He'll kill us all!" Cale gasps.

"Oh don't you worry your pretty little head off, I plan on taking him far, far away from your island. After all I wouldn't want to waste such talent on your eggheads. Now, you just show me where you keep him and I'll go get him."

"N…No…NO!" Cale says forcibly fighting down her fear. "You can't have him! Kill me if you have to, but I'm not letting near him."

"_Strange, usually she doesn't care for anyone but herself."_ Diana notes, as Cale reacts with the speed of a striking serpent and reaches under her desk and hits a button. Screaming klaxons begins their howling.

"Oh? Guess we do this the nasty way." Raven replies as she engulfs Cale and herself in shadow.


	13. Project Boomtube

Raven, still posing as the Joker, and Veronica Cale appear in the shack, Raven on her feet, Cale suspended in black energy.

"Don't blame those two, considering what I could have done, they lasted a good while." Raven says in her normal voice as she uses her powers to open the straps on the table and tears off Cale's jacket and the top underneath leaving her in her bra before being slammed onto the table and strapped in.

"Who are you?!"

"That's really not important to you." Raven says flatly as she changes into her wingless form and her leotard as she moves over to the two terrariums. "You have three options now; the first is you can tell me willingly where you keep Adam. The second is that let these little critters out for a walk." Raven says as she turns around holding her hands out with a scorpion in her left palm and a large tarantula in the other. "Last option is that I forcibly break into your mind and get the information that I want, what happens to you is something that is debatable."

"You're crazy, have you any idea how poisonous they are?!" Cale says as she squirms to get free.

"The scorpion's sting will kill you eventually if left untreated, the spider is practically harmless, but most people don't like them. So what's it going to be Veronica?" Raven asks while fixing Cale with a stare who just stares back defiantly.

"Do your worst." Cale growls before giving up the staring contests, Raven had noticed no one really seemed to know which of her eyes they are supposed to stare into when she's in demon from.

"Your choice." Raven sighs, as she puts the scorpion back into its box. The spider however is deposited on Cales bare stomach, she instantly begins squirming to get it off, but the large arachnid seems quite content with sitting where it is. "What too much already?" Raven asks as she walks to stand at Cale's head. "Now if you relax, this may not hurt." She continues before leaning over Cale as she begins.

"_Will she be ok?" _Wally asks as Raven puts the spider back in its box a few moments later.

"Depends." Raven sighs as she looks at Cale, who is hyperventilating while staring holes in the ceiling with wide eyes. "I didn't mean for it to end up like that." She continues as she unties Cale and puts her next to the other two before wrapping her jacked around her.

"_She was warned."_ Batman mentions. _"And she will be fine when the shock passes, unlike Dr. Light, Cale never had a mental history."_

"_But how long will that take?"_ Superman asks him.

"_A week or two."_

"Based on my 'victims' in Gotham?" Raven asks as she pours some water for herself before pouring some for Cale.

"_Yes."_ Batman replies dryly. _"Did you get what you needed?"_

"Yes, a Dr. Shivana is working on him; unfortunately we have to go through several other labs on foot to get to him, including Niles Caulders." Raven sighs knowing who will be standing against her.

"_You can teleport there?"_ J'onn suggests.

"No, one of Cales memories say that the labs are shielded from teleportation and other types of dimensional walks, mostly due to you by the way, except one." Raven halts for a second. "But I am pretty sure I don't want to go to a place called Apokolips?"

"_Better let Clark know what that's about." _Shayera mentions quickly, Raven agrees as the usually calm man spikes with anger at the mention.

"Project Boomtube; Cale's own idea, she figures if she can create a bridge to Apokolips, then she will have access to technology beyond anything ever seen here on Earth. It's what's pulling most of the power off the island."

"_That idiot." _Bruce grumbles.

"_Raven, you have a new priority in this; that project has to be stopped. We don't know what happened to him after the invasion, but with Luthor back, Darkseid will be as well."_ Superman says with a little more urgency than usual.

"Understood, unfortunately it's in the most heavily guarded area of this place, I am not sure if I have the energy to maintain camouflage and fight half the island."

"_Go without, if the rest of the League finds out about this, much less the world, people are going to come looking."_ John adds.

"_Agreed, this will be a sanctioned event." _J'onn continues.

"_Yeah, inter-dimensional conquerors are bad."_ Wally adds as well, even if he never saw the new god.

"_Raven, considering your, status, can you bring reinforcements?" _Batman asks.

"I don't know, I am not even sure if I can control anything I might be able to bring…"

"_Fine."_ Batman cuts her off. _"First priority will be the primary power lines, you remember where they are?"_

"Of course." Raven replies confidently before teleporting away.

"Seems she has arrived." Beastboy notes over the blinking lights, the alarm having been turned off several minutes ago.

"Someone is definitely here, Cale is missing." Mento notes, otherwise busy listening into the security channel of the communicator in his ear.

"Any dead?" Negative Man asks; Mento huffs.

"None, guards didn't hear a thing but a female guard named Jennifer Hale was admitted to her office before the alarm sounded, the others have orders to shoot and kill her if she is seen along with some guy called Joe."

"Thought you said this girl was the quiet sort?" Cliff asks while looking at Beastboy, having calmed down enough to return.

"She was the quiet sort, four years ago." Beastboy shrugs.

"Assuming it's her that is, which I am currently ruling out." Mento says.

"Based on?" Beastboy asks.

"Well your old account of her as an almost unbalanced fruitcake with magical powers." Mento continues ignoring the glare he receives from his adoptive son.

"You give her too much credit Garfield." Elasti-girl says.

"No I'm not; for once I've not exaggerated anything about her." Garfield sighs. "Guy's I'm going to ask you to please walk away from this, Raven as she is now is just not someone you want to stand in the way of."

"And we told you we aren't budging for her!" Robotman says angrily. "She's your friend, not mine!" He continues as the normal lighting begins fluttering before dying out.

"That would be her." Beastboy adds.

"_Only whatever backup generators they have should be running now."_ John notes at the crater in the ground and the severed cables in it.

"_Which will be formidable. None of the scientists here trust anything they haven't built themselves."_ Batman continues.

"At least they will be inconvenienced." Raven says as she teleports to the flat roof of the building containing Project Boomtube, summoning her sword and armor before sinking into the shadows.

"_Just a bunch of white-coats."_ Shayera shrugs at the milling team of scientists running around in the huge room trying to get over the power fluctuations.

"_Most of the guards are at the doors."_ Raven notes, from her place in the shadows at the ceiling, the room looks like a rats maze with the numerous computer banks and other systems creating several long one way corridors, all leading to a stair case leading up to a large green metal box that overlooks the obvious test area, a vacant spot at the far wall with two rods sticking out of the ground with a large circle suspended between them. _"I have to get these people out before I can wreck this."_

"_Hit the box first."_ Batman says, Raven moves to hang just above the center of the roof before dropping down the short drop is enough for her to us her powers to blast a sizeable hole in the structure before she drops through, landing gracefully inside, the look on the faces of the people inside is one of complete shock as Raven gets up.

"And now you run." Raven says as she draws the sword from her back and is completely surrounded by flames before she lunges at a computer next to one of the scientist, her sudden movement has the desired effect and the men and women react like scared animals and begin stampeding out of the box with much yelling coming from them.

Raven turns to face those trapped in the back and begins to walk towards them, dragging her sword through the consoles to her left, the remaining scientist almost try squeezing themselves into the far wall from Raven to get past her, but they manage. With them out of the box, Raven focuses on the computers, letting her powers seep into them before violently tearing them apart from the inside, expanding her focus, the computers on the floor below begin to go through the same motions one by one. At the entrance the security forces are pouring inside, trying to get past the panicking scientists, some carrying heavy weaponry.

"_I've noticed them."_ Raven says as she continues to break apart everything within reach.

"_You are clear if you can do this faster."_ John mentions, Raven nods and focuses harder, letting her powers reach into everything connected to this room before turning it to shrapnel, causing several explosions inside the room, and a boom from somewhere far off.

"_Backup servers, keep working."_ Batman says right before a deafening explosion sends Raven and the box crashing to the floor, landing upside down on its roof.

"_Should have anticipated that."_ Raven grumbles as she teleports out, knowing the portal is now little more than a crater and melted metal. Reappearing next to the wreckage she sheathes her sword, killing the flames around her, spotting the guards also getting to their feet again.

"_Look out!" _Diana yells as Raven also spots the man with the shoulder mounted rocket launcher as he fires his weapon at her, Raven throws up both hands and strains as her powers grab hold of the projectile gradually slowing it to a halt a meter before her.

"_That was harder than it looked." _Raven heaves, before quickly having the missile move back to its owner hanging it nose down over his head. The man and the others quickly get the idea and scatter to all sides before the missile is dropped, sending fragments of floor flying in every direction. As Raven lifts off from the ground, she is met by a hail of bullets and plasma blasts, there are only a few impacts on her as she throws up a shield in front of her. In retaliation several black snakes race out from her steering towards the dug in guards, violently pushing smoking machines out of the way before they send men flying into the back wall.

"_That was too easy."_ Batman notes as Raven finishes off the last guards.

"_Agreed." _Raven sends back. _"Perhaps the alarm drew some of them away?"_

"_Possible, but seems unlikely." _J'onn adds.

"_Who cares, will make the rest of the road easier?"_ Flash notes.

"_No, this was Cale's project alone, all the crazy stuff will be stuck in their creator's laboratories. Even Cale didn't know exactly what they were, but some of the tests she's seen, they seem interesting."_ Raven says as she lands before the door she needs to get through to get to Adam.

"Jeez, did someone mix the wrong chemicals?" Robotman ask as he gets off the floor along with the rest of the Patrol.

"Well, someone's gonna be in a heap of trouble." Negative Man notes, an explosion like that was sure to have disrupted a great many delicate experiments.

"_Mento, what they hell is going on out there?! I swear to God if this is one of you…"_ Caulder's angry outburst from the speaker in the wall near is cut off by Mento.

"Easy Niles that wasn't any of us." He sighs.

"_Better hope not."_ Caulder replies before shutting the link closed.

"Why do you put up with that guy?" Beastboy asks, shocked that anyone talks to Mento like that and even more shocked Mento just rolled with it.

"Because we have to." Cliff sighs, right as several scientists can be seen at the other end of the corridor running past. "Heads up, I think we have incoming."

"Beastboy get back here!" Mento yells as Garfield walks calmly up to the mouth of the corridor, before stealing a peek around the corner before he walks cautiously around it.

"Rae, is that…you?" Beastboy asks out of surprise as the figure comes towards him, he can see the four eyes, but it's his animal instincts that tell him he is not in danger.

"Unfortunately, this is apparently what I am supposed to look like." Raven replies as she stops before him.

"Jeez…do the others know?" He asks while trying to take in the changes as she towers over him.

"Yes, they walked in on me while I was trying to learn how to move like this." She replies while poking on her legs.

"Yeah, it's not easy to learn how to move new muscles." Beastboy says before, remembering something.

"The Doom Patrol is standing around the corner?" Raven asks.

"Yeah, they bough Niles' gig." Beastboy sighs.

"I see, how about you?"

"I am not going to stand against you, heck; I doubt I'd be any use if I tried."

"We have a mutual friend who will be happy hear that." Raven nods, giving Beastboy a smirk. "She made me promise I wouldn't harm you." Beastboy just stares at her as if she had just announced he had won the lottery, before shaking his head.

"Uh, could I ask you to do the same for the others?" He asks a little timidly while thumbing in the Patrols direction.

"I will try, but I have to get to Adam and that is through Caulder's lab. The walls in this place are shielded from teleportation."

"I know what you have to do." Beastboy sighs. "Just don't hurt them too badly." He continues as he steps aside.

"I won't." Raven says as she pat's him on the shoulder before walking past him and around the corner. "Patrol! Stand down!" She yells at the group at the other end of the corridor.

"Jesus Christ…" Negative Man gasps.

"Patrol! Defend the door!" Mento yells as he begins to focus. Cliff thunders forwards as Rita grows to twice her normal height and Negative Man slumps in his seat to send his Negative Spirit forwards.

"_They were warned."_ Diana says as Robotman comes closer.

"I ain't gonna risk my chance for a normal life for ya!" He yells.

"Niles and his project isn't my concern." Raven replies flatly as he comes within striking distance, she dodges out of the way of Cliffs raised fist that swings past her before grabbing hold of his back and pushing him into a depression in the wall with a hollow boom. Turning around quickly she sees Negative Man's shade in time to let her soulself out. The two shades, one in the shape of a man's upper body with a flowing stream for legs and a huge shadow bird, end up dancing in front of each other, seemingly not wanting to come into contact with each other.

"You don't know what you are ruining for us." Rita says as she breaks into a run, before aiming to kick Raven down the hallway, Raven stops the huge limb with one hand on the shin before it can make contact, getting a pained yelp from Rita.

"Let me pass and nothing gets broken." Raven replies before putting her other hand under Rita's foot and lifts the limb quick enough to have her fall on her back as Raven begins to feel a niggling sensation in the back of her head. Raven growls in annoyance as the niggling turns to a mild headache. "Steve, stop before I return the favor."

"No." The man says, as he focuses further and Raven's headache becomes slightly worse as her eyes pulse once as Steve is sent flying back into the wall.

"Damn it!" Negative Man growls before trying to leap through Ravens soul self, only to be embraced by it, getting a few pained moans out of the man. Elasti-girl lashes out at Raven with her foot, catching her unaware this time and backs away a few steps after catching the heel.

"You're strong, I'll give you that." Robotman's voice says from behind Raven right before she is knocked into the wall.

"_Don't hold back, they can take it."_ Batman's voice filters into her mind, as she receives another blow to the head.

"Right." Raven growls as she looks up, using her powers to slam Robotman into the wall again, creating another impression before she rolls away to avoid a kick to the gut from Elasti-girl. Raven's soul-self unwraps itself from Negative Man and drops the man's shade onto his body before it jumps onto the back of Elasti-girl where it sticks to her like oil.

"Hey! Get off!" The woman complains as she tries to get hold of it, only to spread it further over her hands and arms as it crawls up to the base of her head.

"Sleep Rita Farr and fight no more." Raven says quietly and the huge woman seems to become drowsy at first before falling over like a tree trunk, fast asleep, before the shade returns to Raven.

"Fall, damn you!" Cliff yells as he tries with another swing, this one getting stopped by an open palm.

"No." Replies flatly before she gives way and grabs the stumbling man, crushing the bronze plates at his neck and waist, and lifts him clear over her head before slamming him head first into the ground, making a third impression, as she picks him up again she notices his neck joints have gone loose, making his head loll around as if his neck had been broken. Raven worries for a second if she has over done it.

"He once made it a few days without his body." Beastboy says as he appears besides her, taking in the damage. "Thank you." This has Raven look at him in surprise.

"For what?"

"For not harming them too much." The green changeling smiles at her.

"Still wish I didn't have to." Raven sighs as she puts Cliff down at the wall. "Makes me feel like I'm…Terra."

"You're not. Unless the League is really Slade in disguise and you plan on taking over the city." Raven gives him a sad smile as she changes back to her wingless appearance as she walks to the door, grunting only slightly in pain. "It's a pain to do that."

"Yeah, but it's been worse." She says while studying the door as Beastboy picks up Mento's helmet that has fallen off his head. "I remember a story where you put that on." Raven notes as he turns the purple helmet around in his hands to look at the insides.

"Hey, what's this?" He asks as he spots a silver chip inside the otherwise purple interior.

"Isn't that supposed to be there?" Raven asks after casting a quick look, not sure what she was looking at.

"No, Mento always paints any new parts. But this isn't supposed to be there, he's never changed the original design, said it was too dangerous." Beastboy continues.

"Let me see it." Raven says as she takes it from him. _"Bruce?"_

"_I can't tell you what it is, Mento made a point of keeping his design of the helmet a secret."_

"Batman can't tell us anything." Raven sighs. "Did Mento always do his own repairs?"

"Yeah, except once." Raven's stare tells him to go on. "We were fighting Plasmus, Mento got some goop into his helmet and decided to let Caulder help him clean it up, since he was in the area…wait, are you saying the Caulder could have put this in here?!"

"_I wouldn't put it past him; Caulder has a manipulative streak a mile wide." _Batman mentions.

"Ok, we need to solve this now."Raven says as she leans down to Mento before placing a blue glowing hand on his head. "It's bad, there's something wrong with his mind." Raven says as the man groans.

"Wha..what?" Mento blinks a few times, looking up at the two people standing over him. "Garfield?"

"Mento, you need to see something." Beastboy says as he helps his adoptive father to his feet.

"What? Is that my hat?" Mento asks still a little confused.

"Steve, what is this." Raven says as she hands him the device, pointing at the chip. Steve seems surprised to see it as well as he looks at it closer.

"It's not something that's supposed to be there…Caulder!" Steve almost snarls as he seems to realize something. "Where are we? Who are you?" Raven and Beastboy look at each other as Steve looks questioningly at Raven, who changes back into her human form.

"Steve it's Raven, don't you remember what just happened?" Beastboy asks clearly worried about him.

"It…it's like a dream, its coming back now. We are on Oolong…Raven asked us to stand aside…and she kicked us into next week." The man says while rubbing his eyes with one palm. "I'm thinking clearly now. You're trying to save the League?" He realizes.

"Steve, I'd suggest you don't wear that helmet again." Raven says. "How long have you been wearing it?"

"Uhm…about 15 years now, but I've never felt like this before. Wait, I began feeling strange when I took it off after Caluder had his hands on it, so I left it on."

"Steve that was three years ago!" Beastboy exclaims. "You never took it off?"

"No, I felt better when I had it on." Steve sighs.

"Steve, when I brought you back, I sensed something in your head." Raven says, getting his attention. "I don't know what it is, but it's not supposed to feel like it did. When you get out of here, you need to see a doctor."

"Rae, you have a hunch." Beastboy asks.

"I won't dare second guess something like that." Raven almost snaps.

"Tell me." Mento says calmly. "It's my head."

"It felt like dementia." Raven sighs. "I am not sure that was what it was, but…" She stops when she see's Steve isn't listening anymore.

"But, I'm 42 years old." He sighs to no one, sounding like a lost child at the realization.

"Steve, you put away that hat now and go wake Cliff, Raven you get the others back up and we are going to find out what exactly Caulder is doing!" Beastboy barks, the two moves to comply.

"_I sense a growing dislike for Caulder in your friend." _J'onn notes._ "We Martians have no concept of the word dementia, could you enlighten me?"_

"_It's a terrible disease of the mind without a cure I am afraid. The sufferer will gradually loose memory, loose attention span and problem solving skills, usually it only inflicts the elderly but it can affect younger adults."_ Rave explains.

"_That's terrible. We had a concept on Mars, called Mind Rot, where the symptoms were the same; we had a cure for the mildly affected but alas I never saw it."_ J'onn sighs.

"Rita, wake up." Raven commands, instantly bringing the woman back.

"Ow."

"Come'on Cliff, get that bucked of bolts moving." Mento says as he crosses a few wires in an open hatch in the man's chest, the wires spark once and Cliff lurches to his feet, making Stave fall backwards.

"Who? What…? Steve? And without the fancy hat…whoa!" Cliffs says as his head falls forwards. "Oh not the neck joints again!" He complains as he uses both hands to hold his head on straight.

"Larry, get up." Beastboy says as he turns over Negative Man.

"Gar, I've told you numerous times I don't like it when you draw on the bandages." The man growls as he apparently wakes up to Garfields face.

"Patrol, we are going to have a little chat with Caulder." Steve says as he gets up.

"Steve, why aren't you wearing your helmet?" Rita asks as she shrinks and gets up.

"What about her?" Cliff says motioning at Raven.

"I want to know what this chip is doing in my helmet." Mento says, holding it up for the others to see.

"But Caulder he promised us." Cliff whines.

"Cliff, I was the only one of you who got to go inside his lab and I can't remember anything other than a sense of feeling better. Right now I am thinking clearly, and if Caulder really is working on something for you, fine, but I think you deserve to see what exactly he is making for you, don't you?" Mento asks as he looks at the others.

"I think that would be a good idea." Beastboy mentions.

"Good, let's go see." Mento says as he walks over to the speaker in the wall. "Caulder, open this door."

"_I seem to have told you several times that my work is too delicate you have you people running around in here." _Comes the tired reply.

"Hey, I want to see what you are cooking up for me in there. I don't want to spend the rest of my life as a girl!" Cliff says loudly, receiving no reply.

"Raven, break it down." Beastboy says, getting a nod from his friend.

"Stand back." She says before transforming back into her winged shape before drawing her sword.

"Jeeze, girls on fire!" Larry complains as his bandages almost catch fire from his proximity to her.

"_Door seems to be made of several pieces, carving an X into should open it sufficiently."_ Batman mentions. Raven pulls back and delivers a powerful strike, carving a long line into the steel door, before repeating the motion, causing it to collapse, letting Raven step over the wreckage into a small lab with gurney in the center and several workstations at the walls. On the gurney is a half assembled box of some kind, next to it on the ground sits a grey haired man wearing a lab coat in a wheelchair, he looks halfway frightened and angered at Raven's appearance.

"There are a group of people out here who wants to talk to you." Raven says as she sheathes her sword again as she walks into the lab followed by the others.

"That doesn't look like a body." Beastboy notes to Cliff who snaps his metallic jaw.

"Caulder, you are our science expert, care to tell me what this is?" Mento asks before tossing his helmet onto the gurney. The man puts down the screwdriver and puts on a pair of glasses before picking up the helmet eying the chip.

"It's a chip I installed, to help you control your powers." He says flatly.

"He's lying." Raven mentions off handedly as she looks at the door barring her way into Shivana's lab.

"Who is she?" Caulder grumbles, ignoring the stare Mento sends him.

"Raven, one of my friends." Beastboy replies.

"Another freak." Caulder sighs under his breath, right before a hand closes around his throat and lifts his out of his chair.

"This 'freak' has a very good hearing, and a very short temper right now little man." Raven hisses into Caulder's ear before dropping him back into his seat.

"And why did you put this chip into my helmet without telling me?" Mento asks.

"It's not really there to assist in controlling his powers, is it?" Raven asks.

"Start talking Chief or Larry is going to give you a big radioactive hug." Cliff grumbles as the bandaged man cracks his knuckles. "Where's that damn body you promised me!"

"Mento, you should look at this." Beastboy says having spotted a computer and begun browsing through it, finding a file marked Doom Patrol.

"Stay away from that!" Caulder snaps as he tries to wheel forwards, only to find his wheels locked in place.

"Let them." Raven says before pulling him towards herself. "Do you have access to this?" She asks.

"I don't even know what's on the other side." Caulder grumbles as he crosses his arms in front of him. "How did you end up like that?" He asks.

"_And so he begins."_ Raven sends inwards. "My dad was a demon."

"Don't you get lots of stares looking like that?" He asks.

"Oh, plenty. But I rarely choose to look like this, why?"

"I was just thinking, maybe I could help you?" Caulder asks, trying to sound sincere.

"I really doubt you can offer me anything." Raven replies flatly.

"Family, I can offer that, I'm sure the Patrol could use you and your…abilities."

"Why? So you can degrade and run her down too?!" Steve asks with barely contained fury in his voice. "Will you call her a freak, say that she is better off with whatever you can put her on while she runs off to do your chores?!"

"Steve he isn't worth it." Rita says holding back the tears in her eyes.

"You're right Rita." Mento sighs. "Caulder, I don't want to see you ever again. And if you ever talk like you have done to my wife again, I will destroy your mind." He growls before walking out of the lab followed by Rita, Larry just throws an angry wave with both hands at Caulder before walking out as well. Robotman walks over to Caulder, turning him around to face him.

"I am beginning to see why Brain hates you so much." The huge metal man says. "I really thought you were a friend here to help us, and now I learn that it was you who sabotaged my car all those years ago!" He growls.

"Please…hurk!" Caulder is cut off as Robotman's huge hand closes like a vice around his throat.

"You even wrote down the damn details about how you sabotaged my car!" Cliff seethes, before dropping Caulder into his chair again. "I am inclined to paint the room with you, but I am not angry." Cliff continues with a forced calm entering his voice. "I just think we need to be even, injury for injury, wheels for wheels." Caulder eyes go wide for a second before he is hoisted into the air and hurled at the far wall with sickening crunch before drops down on the table and rolls off down to the ground. "Consider us even. Sorry it had to be like this we met again Raven." Cliff sighs before he walks out as well, leaving Raven and Beastboy alone with Caulder.

"I knew he was a slimebag." Beastboy sighs. "Need any help?"

"I can't receive any, or the deal I made will be void." Raven sighs. "Sorry about this."

"It wasn't your fault, good luck Rae." Beastboy says before he picks up Mento's helmet and leaves the lab.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Almost there.


	14. Black Adam

_Oolong Island, laboratory of Dr. Niles Caulder:_

"_He's alive?" _Superman asks in concern over the condition of Caulder.

"Yup, but out cold and with a great many broken bones." Raven confirms. "Let's see how Adam is feeling?" Raven says as she places a palm on the door, letting her powers seep into it, before turning the locks that holds it closed. The side of the door is pulled into the sides as the central part sinks into the ground, letting Raven in.

What is on the other side is not what she expected, she expected Adam to be a kind of center piece of the room, but from here she can't see anyone that matches that description. But she can see numerous other people locked in cages, with many different origins and ages. Raven is struck dumb by the sight as a man leans against one of his cage walls at the back, she'd seen old photographs of people like him, but he looks even worse fed than Starfire was.

"BEASTBOY!" Raven yells at the top of her lungs in hopes he hadn't gotten too far away, before she walks inside to have closer look at the captives, wanting to comfort them, but they all shy away from her. It initially confuses her till she hears someone pray in Spanish.

"_Hail Mary, deliver us from temptation."_ Raven is hurt, it's her they are scared of, but she pushes the notion away turning it into determination to prove she is something besides her exterior, but changes shape nonetheless to her wingless guise.

"I am not here to harm you." She says in several languages before moving to the side before blowing the locks open.

"Raven?! Whoa!" Beastboy says as he comes into the room, followed closely by the rest of the Patrol.

"Dear God." Rita gasps.

"Gar, I need you to get these people out of here." Raven says as she pulls away to a corner.

"You got it." Mento says as the rest of the Patrol moves in to help the prisoners out.

"Get away from them! They are mine!" A voice suddenly says, Raven quickly moves around the cages to see who it is, find a very short bald man in lab coat wearing a pair of large circular glasses, hobbling down the stairs to a back room while leaning on a walking stick, Raven feel as wash of new fear come over the captives at the sight of him.

"_Dr. Shivana."_ Batman growls. _"Captain Marvel's Luthor."_

"Shoo, get away, I'm still using them!" The midget continues as he walks across the floor, Raven quickly moves to block him.

"What are you doing to these people?" She asks as she towers above him.

"None of your business, get out!" The man continues, before Raven seizes him by the coat and lifts him up to her eye height. "Let go!" He says trying to pry open her fingers.

"What have you been doing to these people?" Raven asks again.

"What do you think I've been doing?! I've been enhancing them of course!" He continues angrily.

"_Shivana is a master of almost every scientific field." _Batman mentions.

"Odysseus stop them!" The pint sized man yells over his shoulder as the Patrol continues to herd the captives out. From the same doorway Shivana emerged from a hulking shape emerges, it appears to be a human-tiger hybrid, but with the size of a bear as the thing walks on its hind legs. The thing looks at the pointing finger of Shivana and looks at the patrol before emitting a terrifying roar before leaping several meters through the air to land on top of the cages, closest to Caulders door, preventing anyone from getting out.

"Hey, I'm the king of the jungle around here!" Beastboy yells before he changes into a large lion and jumps onto the cage as well, roaring a challenge to the man-beast. Odysseus just stares at him in confusion before growling deeply at him.

"We will handle this!" Mento yells to Raven before waving Larry and Rita into action.

"Was that thing once a man?" Raven asks harshly.

"Of course not!" Shivana grumbles. "I rendered two beings down to their component atoms before building them up again." Raven's eyes almost blaze with anger at this.

"Any of you in there think he should show us where he keeps Adam?"

"_Personally I think he should be in a cage over a tiger pit, but that sounds good too."_ Flash mentions.

"Who are you talking to?!" Shivana asks.

"Oh just the voices in my head, how about you show me where you keep Black Adam before I decide to twist you head off?"

"You wouldn't find him faster that way!" Shivana finally says as he meets her stare.

"Well, I could just break into that shine dome of yours and leave you a drooling cabbage, and believe me, it has happened." Shivana suddenly grows pale at the thought and stops his struggles.

"_Threatening his vaunted superiority, cute."_ Batman says from the inside.

"You…he will kill us if we let him loose?" Shivana manages as he genuinely looks frightened.

"Unless you can gift-wrap him for me, loose is what he will be." Raven says. "Now where is he?"

"Back there." Shivana points back up the stairs. "Wait, put me down!" He complains as he is carried along like a large doll. In the background Beastboy has the man-tiger trapped as he has changed into an octopus and is holding the beast's limbs down, with Beastboy hanging upside down under a cage roof. "He will kill me if he sees me!" Shivana pleads as Raven deftly passes through several small rooms with only two exits in each.

"Don't worry, he will be too busy to do that." Raven assures.

"_You do realize you are carrying him one handed?" _Wally notes.

"_He doesn't weigh anything to me."_ Raven sends back.

"_It's only some 40 to 50kg." _Batman continues.

"Here we are?" Raven surmises as she steps down a few steps into a larger room, with a gurney in the center. Where what appears to be a large laser is transfixing a very large man dressed in a black and yellow version of Captain Marvels uniform without the short cape, while a yellow beam focused on his forehead. The part Raven read up on Adam was that he was once a servant of the pharos is partially confirmed as he does have Arabic features.

"_Still shielded?" _Superman asks.

"_Yup." _Raven sighs. "What's the laser doing?"

"It's not a laser, it's a dimensional field projector and it does what the name suggests." Shivana grumbles as he is finally put down.

"_Thought he would be the kind to name it something ridiculous and extravagant?"_ Shayera mentions.

"Well, down it goes." Raven says as he takes a calming breath and draws her sword before she lets her powers seep into the machine and rips it from its setting the ceiling and drops it on the other side of Adam. The man himself opens his eyes a blinks a few times as if waking up from a long sleep, before groaning and raises a hand to his head before sitting up, eyeing the two people in the room with him, Shivana flees as fast as possible after Raven lets go of him.

"I suppose with a sword drawn, you are simply here to trade me from one prison to another?" He asks while rubbing his head.

"An old acquaintance of yours promised me something in return for bringing you to him." Raven replies.

"I hope you know your only reward is in the grave?" Adam says as he stands up, proving to be as tall as Raven before he begins circling her with his hands spread out.

"_He's still groggy."_ Diana mentions while Raven holds her sword out horizontally, nothing that Adam is keeping an eye on it. Raven hardly has time to react as Adam moves, his feet bend the metal floor as he launches himself at Raven, tackling her trough the wall behind her, the impact causes her to drop Shadowfury.

Raven feels her back collide with several walls before she brings down both fists onto Adam's skull making them both slam into the ground before separating, crashing through three more walls before rolling to a stop inside a huge hall to the sound of many scared voices. She is quick enough to gather her wits to teleport above Adam to plant both heels onto the back of his head as he is getting up, pushing him back down, making a hole in the ground. She doesn't have a chance to capitalize on the moment as Adam reacts like a spring and snaps his head up, due to his massive strength Raven is sent flying into the air, slamming her against the ceiling many meters above her. As she falls down again, she is met with a blow to the left shoulder before she reaches the ground; the blow sends her flying through the wall and into the bright sunlight outside before crashing through the front end of a jeep and landing flat on her face.

"I feel a trend forming." Raven groans before she rolls to the side and gets up, that last blow had nearly dislocated her shoulder. The injury doesn't stop it from assisting her other hand to land a heavy blow to Adam as he comes flying straight at her, landing him behind the jeep and its two stunned passengers.

The remains of the vehicle sway's slightly before it is lifted above Adams head, with the guards still in it. Raven leaps into the air as he throws the car at her, passing over it, she grabs the guards with her powers and flings them away from the fight. Landing on her feet, facing Adam as he advances, Raven deflects a series of punches while landing several blows of her own, which seems to annoy Adam more than harm him, even if the palm that strikes his nose gets a nosebleed out of him.

Adam snarls at he grabs hold of her left wrist, halting the punch she was about to land, as he delivers a left hook to her, causing her to stumble back. Adam switches his attention to her right ankle and grabs hold of it after letting go of her arm, Raven hardly registers it before she hits the ground three times in rapid succession after being swung over Adams head like a sacks of potatoes, cracking the asphalt each time, leaving Raven to black out a second as she is hurled into something that heats up tremendously.

"_Get up!"_ A voice filters into her brain as she wakes up in a sea of flame, over the fire's roar she can hear sporadic screaming and discharge of the strange weaponry everyone seems to carry on this island. _"You need to step it up if you want to win this!" _The voice continues, Raven ignores it, becoming strangely aware that she is completely enveloped by flames, but she doesn't feel its heat. A shriek brings her out of her wonderings, realizing Adam must be massacring the guards; she bolts out of the wrecked tanker truck she was thrown into, in time to see Adam crush the throat of a guard with one hand as he discards another victim with the other while ignoring the blue blasts that splashes against his body from the others.

As he sets his sights on another pair of guards, who are blazing away at him, Raven sprints across the open area, running faster than she ever had before slamming, shoulder first, into Adams backside. As her momentum carries him with her, they speed past the guards previously endangered now blown to the ground. Mid-run Raven manages to grab hold of Adam's clothes and hurl him forwards into a cluster of boulders, that reach from the edge of the main complex and into the beach.

"You again?!" Adam says angrily as he explodes out of the pile sending several of the huge stones flying as he hovers over the pile. "You are more resilient than I thought; I will not make that mistake again." He says as Raven stops, still a good distance from him. Her mind, however, is not and several boulders launch into the air before coming together with crushing force around Adam. His reaction is anticipated and the boulders are shattered into shrapnel as Adam burst free, racing straight for her again. In his rush to reach her, he doesn't take notice of the huge shadow emerging from the flames and smoke around her, before he finds himself swallowed by it.

"Relax and it will be over soon." Raven says as she observes her soul-self hover in front of her, Adam however is still fighting and Raven suddenly feels a great amount of pain rip through her being before a hand rips its way out of her soul-self and closes around her throat in a vice like grip. The sudden pain is enough for Raven to lose focus and her soul-self evaporates, leaving a fuming but frigid Adam staring at her.

"You fight me with parlor tricks?!" He seethes as while squeezing harder, shutting off most of Raven's air supply before he bashes her once, reactively she tries pulling away as she grabs his arm with both hands. "Who sent you?"

"Gaak!" Is all Raven can mange, she feels like two elephants wearing high heels a standing on each side of her neck, its making her light headed as Adam is also slowing the flow of blood to her head. Adam eases the pressure on her a fraction; realizing she can't talk much less breathe as she hit's weakly at his elbow with a fist.

"Who?" He asks again.

"Sh'ckam!" Raven manages.

"Who?" Adam asks again as he pulls her closer to her face, as her head begins to drop slightly.

"Your face!" Raven says sharply as she looks up as her arms and fingers are spread wide before they blur at the speed they are moved at, stopping at the opposite side of their starting points. Adam just glares at her for a second before his face literally erupts in blood from the eigth deep slashes that now form bloody crosses there.

"NNNAAAAAYYYYAAAARRG!" Adam screams as he clutches his face with both hands, dropping Raven on the ground to heave for air, while he stumbles three steps before tripping over a rock, blinded by his own blood. They both lie on the ground for a few seconds before Raven fights her way to her feet and jumps on Adams back, intent on knocking him out while she can. "Shazam!" Adam growls as he feels her land on him.

"_MOVE!" _Superman yells too late for Raven to react to the bolt of lightning that race out of the clear blue sky, towards her back.

For a second she feels infinity and oblivion, everything is possible and impossible in the same instant, she thinks she experiences every color and sound ever seen and heard and at the same time she feels nothing and is deafened. She feels this in an instant before darkness claims her.

_The Watchtower:_

"You called?" Batman asks as he slows his running as he reaches Mr. Terrific in the monitor womb.

"A massive electrical discharge was just recorded over a clear sky Oolong, which means in this case; Adam said the magic word." The man says without turning to face Richard. "We should have satellite uplink right about…now." He continues as an image appears on one of three large screens displayed on the outer wall of the satellite, showing Oolong from space before it zooms in on the island. "There are energy fluctuations all over the place, but it's hard to see anything for the smoke." Richard understands as parts of the island's obviously inhabited area is covered by black smoke, probably a gas fire.

"What's that?" He asks as he points at a crater far from the complex.

"Hmm, Adam's lightning." Terrific says as he zooms in on it, the image's resolution is big enough for them to see a figure stumble to get up and out of the hole. "That's too big to be Raven, unless she's changed into something that big?"

"It's not." Richard notes grimly as his eyes searches the screen for any sign of her.

"I'll raise the alarm." Terrific says.

_Somewhere else:_

"_What a strange place."_ Raven notes half consciously at the view above her, its white and emits the sense of warmth as she floats up towards it like a swimmer lying in water. The white view slowly has shapes forming inside of them, like clouds, resembling faces she thinks she should know, they are all smiling at her. _"Perhaps, dying isn't so bad?"_ She guesses that the lightning killed her. A noise from below her has her reluctantly turn to see what's beneath her; the faces above her seem to not want her to turn. Below her is complete darkness, with a pair of triangular white eyes as the only feature, Raven can feel its anger, but she doesn't care, she is floating upwards, and she turns away from it.

"_No!"_ A male voice rumbles, Raven thinks she should remember it from somewhere, but she continues upwards, leaning forwards she reaches for the light. It's close enough for her to almost touch the closest face as something cold wraps around her right leg and pulls her away. Raven fights lazily to reach the light, but she continues to fall into the darkness before she is aware of it, the light is gone entirely and she is looking at the two, cold, white eyes. _"Listen to me!"_ The voice commands. _"You are fighting a god and holding back!" _The voice roars into her face.

"I am already dead, why should I care?" Raven asks flatly a second later something slaps her head hard.

"_You are not quitting! I won't allow it! Too much depends on you!"_

"I never promised anyone anything." Raven continues.

"_There are people who believe in you; Clark, Diana, Wally, Shayera, J'onn, John…me!"_ Raven looks up at this and it dawns on her that the eyes are those of Batman's cowl._ "I hesitated because I did not want you hurt, but you were determined to go, so go, bring us back!"_ Raven suddenly has the sense of moving at an incredible speed as the eyes disappear, the sensation is fleeting as she feels like she is crashing into something solid.

She awakens with a gasp, but she is already on her feet facing towards the complex.

"_Raven? Thank the gods! Bruce is trying to move you, but he's struggling with your powers."_ Diana's voice filters into her head. Raven can see what she means, everything around her is either floating or getting crushed in her powers.

"_Bruce, you can stop now."_ Raven sends inwards, feeling another will trying to make her move.

"_About time, this is much more difficult than you might think."_ The man's voice says as Raven feels the wills grasp dissipate while on the inside Batman falls over back awards after letting go of the orb in the Council room.

"_Thought it was the last call there, thank you for bringing me back."_ Raven sends.

"_We haven't done anything?" _J'onn mentions, which surprises Raven.

"_Bruce, didn't you talk to me?"_ Raven asks

"_I could hardly hear anything over the canopy you have in your head, add the sensory overload I got."_ The man replies as John helps him up.

"_Think Raven has an internal Batman."_ Wally whispers to Shayera.

"_Glad it's not me." _Shayera whispers back.

"_If it got her back up?"_ Batman asks coolly, guessing there had been some sort of interfacing between him and Raven's minds when he took control.

"_Raven, Adam." _John notes.

"_Right."_ Raven sends as she notices the man in question is not busy tearing her apart, but sporadic gunfire can be heard somewhere, more guards must be getting killed. Deciding on the first course of action, she sits down cross legged in the air and focuses.

"Batman!" Terrific yells from the womb, the man in black looks up from the floor where he was busy making sure everyone knew what going into battle with Adam meant. "Does that look familiar to you?" He points at the screens all showing orbital images of Oolong from different angles. As Richard looks a huge black dome is growing to cover most of the island.

"I'll take that as a sign that Raven is still alive, unless Adam can do that." Richard replies, as a flutter of hope springs within him. "We are still going, in case I'm wrong. Let's move!" he turns to yell at the assembled League.

"_Raven, what are you doing?"_ Superman asks.

"_Removing all the people who could get injured."_ Raven replies as she works.

"_Uh, are you putting them the same place you sent me?" _Wally asks. _"Because I doubt any of these guys are prepared for the cold."_

"_It's quite warm where they are going; they will be fine, unless they do something stupid."_ Raven assures as she feels waves a familiarity hit her, meaning the Patrol was just taken, she searches a full minute more. _"I can't move Adam off this place with the others; it would be like a wolf in a chicken house."_ She says as something strikes the barrier at the north-western perimeter.

"_Raven you can't…"_ Bruce begins.

"_I can't overpower him like this, I know."_ Raven cuts him off. _"There, Oolong is scrubbed, people are safe."_ She says as she finishes, but leaves the bubble up. Flying up to land on the roof of a building, she gazes over the now silent and dark island, looking in the direction Adam is before she changes into her winged form. Taking a few deep breaths, she screams a challenge over the island, the voice she uses reminds Diana of the scream she heard in Luthor's complex, only louder. _"Now we see if he is that easy to bait."_

_Somewhere less pleasant looking:_

"Uh, where the hell, are we?" Mento asks as he gets off the ground, feeling warmer and the air smells funny.

"Think, hell is the right choice of words." Cliff replies, as he looks around him by guiding his head with his hands. As the rest of the patrol gets up, they see that their charges are with them, along with a great many others, all looking around the volcanic wasteland they are in.

"Is that Miss Cale?" Rita asks, spotting three people lying on the ground near the edge of the group. A guard walks over and turns one of them over, revealing it to be Cale, but she is unresponsive as she refuses to uncurl from the ball she is in.

"Think Rae, did a Dr. Light on her." Beastboy mentions.

"Ah, here you are." A deep voice says from above them all, some of the captives with the Patrol yelp in fright at the figure as it lands. It's easily twice the height of a man, powerfully built, has red skin and four yellow eyes, wearing only a white loincloth and holding a long white staff with a spiral design topped with a skull of a fanged creature. It has long black hair held in a pony tail that's falling behind it from an otherwise bald head where a pair of antlers rises over him. He immediately has every plasma rifle pointing at him. "I am the Emissary, and I bid you welcome to the Eight Pit." He continues without giving heed to the armed men.

"Gar, stay here!" Mento says, futilely grasping for the man's shoulder as he walks out to stand right before the immense demon.

"Raven, sent us here?" Gar asks calmly, appearing totally unafraid of it.

"Indeed young one, the Mistress wishes you to remain here while she fights her war." The demon say's before thumping his staff on the ground and a yellow circle is carved into the ground around the group of people. "Stay within the circle and no harm shall befall you." It continues.

"Hold up, just what the hell is going on here?!" A guard asks. "And who are you to tell us where we can or cannot go?!"

"I only do what the Mistress asks of me, and her words were; keep them safe, but do not let them wander, those who do are yours." The Emissary says before turning away and disappears without a trace.

"Fuck this." The guard growls before brashly crossing the glowing border and walks out side. Above them a roar is heard and a huge red shape descends, the guard manages to scream before the winged humanoid seizes him in its clawed hands and carries him off. As the group watches, the man is ripped apart as other similar creatures try to pry him from the carrier.

"You heard the thing, we stay here!" Mento says loudly, getting quick nods of agreement from everyone, before he turns to his adoptive son. "That was very stupid."

"Maybe." Garfield shrugs. "But I figured it was Raven who sent us here when I saw it's eyes."

"They did share a resemblance." Larry notes. "So was he like her brother?"

"Raven doesn't have siblings." Beastboy replies flatly.

_Above Oolong Island:_

"I see I will have to rip your head off to be rid of you." Adam says calmly as he floats in front of the flapping figure.

"Twice you have underestimated my endurance; I am beginning to think the first letter in that name you yell stands for stupid." Raven replies flatly with her arms crossed over her chest.

"I wonder if you mocking tongue are as sharp when I pull it out." Adam growls.

"You are no threat to me." Raven continues in a bored tone in an attempt to anger him.

"Like you are none to me." Adam replies. "But your previous beatings seem to have made you forget them."

"I was holding back." Raven continues as she lets her arms drop. "No more." Adam doesn't manage to get his guard up in time to counter Raven's strike, first an uppercut to his jaw before Raven spins around herself horizontally to plant a clawed foot on his chest, sending him flying through the air towards the ground, demolishing a concrete roof as he crashes into it.

He isn't down for long as he explodes out of the rubble and he and Raven collide in mid air as she was heading towards him as well, while the black bubble dissipates around the island. The two combatants punch, kick and tear at each other, neither willing to acknowledge the wounds they receive thought each hit landed would make holes in steel plates. It comes to a head as they each strike each other a simultaneous blow, sending them flying in each direction.

Raven crashes through a hangar wall of aluminum and takes off the nose of a private jet before rolling to a halt at a few oil barrels.

"_You all right?" _Wally asks.

"_I think Diana is influencing me."_ Raven sends back as she gets up.

"_Oh?"_ The Princess asks.

"_This is fun."_ Raven replies with a slight smirk the instant before a blast of searing pain shoots through her right wing, growling she looks to find a metal pipe lodged in the membrane between the bones. With a hiss, she yanks it free and turns to the hole she made by entering seeing Adam stand in the hole.

She levitates the seven barrels behind her and hurls them at Adam who raises his guard at the projectiles. As the first barrel hits him, Raven hurls the pipe at him, aiming for his shoulder, but strikes an intervening barrel instead, resulting in a huge explosion as the barrel is punctured and the fuel inside catches fire. The heat and flame doesn't bother her at all and she lunches herself at where Adam was floating, colliding with something and carries it outside with her before it slips away from her. A blow to the back has her smash a hole into the ground.

"Persistent vermin!" Adam says as Raven feels him straddle her back and lands a heavy blow to the back of her head before grabbing hold of one of her horns and slowly bends them backwards. "Go on, plead and I will make it quick." Adam says while straining against her.

"No, way!" Raven growls before teleporting away, Adam moves in time to avoid the strike that comes from above and the two are quickly back to circling the hole and each other. Neither of them noticing the damage they had caused to the island complex.

"_Amusing or not. This has to end, before Oolong is leveled."_ Superman's voice distracts Raven enough for Adam to make his move and slams her into the air using a double handed blow. The two end up exchanging blows again in mid air, this time while Raven tries breaking into Adam's head and extending her focus on something else.

"Stay out!" The man growls at her as he suddenly twist her around and attaches himself to her back between the wings, using his left arm to put her into a headlock while his right seizes her right arm by the wrist, batting the wing out of the way. "Scream for me!" He hisses as he places his knee against her bicep before pulling at her arm.

Raven roars in pain as her arm breaks above the elbow with a loud crack, the loss of emotional control has dark lightning shoot out of her and into Adam who growls in pain as even his natural resistance is beaten down.

"Hurk!" Adam look up in surprise as something hits him in the back and he lets go of Raven who floats forwards to clutch her wounded arm, while Adam looks down at himself, spotting a small piece of metal protrude from the left side of his upper chest. He looks up again to meet the weary eyes of Raven, as he feels a little light headed. From Raven's point of view, Adam looks very surprised at his blood comes out of the wound, but then again he would be since Shadowfury is sticking out of his back.

"_His right arm should be seriously impeded now."_ Bruce mentions

"Guess we are even." Raven growls at him before grinding her teeth and sets the bone in her arm with a crunch. Adam looks at her in surprise when she tests the limb as if it had not been broken at all before she lays into him with several double handed blows, one resulting in two rows of cuts being made into his chest by the scallops on Raven's armguards, tearing most of his uniform away before Raven grabs the remains to look at him. "Fall!" She demands before she head butts him, bringing her forehead into his leaving him dazed enough for her to land a mighty overhead blow that echoes with a dull boom. Seeing where he is heading with the speed of a bullet, Raven throws up a shield in front of her and has Shadowfury return to her hand before a the world around her erupts in fire and noise. She stains against the pressure at the explosion before being blown away, sending her into the ocean.

"_Guess you can't have your cake and eat it."_ Wally mentions to Clark.

"_Sorry."_ Raven sends as she breaks the surface to observe the mushroom cloud rising into the air where the nuclear power plant used to be, obviously containing something other than just a reactor.

"_Can you withstand the radiation?" _Diana asks.

"_No idea, but we can't let Adam get away."_ Raven sends back as she takes to the air again, surrounding herself with a thick black aura she flies over ground zero, finding it impossible to sense anything in the smoke, fire and radiation, she flies off and forms a large bowl to scoop up a sizeable portion of the reservoir feeding the hydro plant before dumping it all on the blast site and the surrounding forest, extinguishing most of the fire.

"_There, in the center."_ Superman says as Raven also spots Adam floating face down in a pool of water. She swoops down and grabs him by an ankle before heading out of the radiation zone, feeling it tearing away at her shield._ "Alive?"_

"_Yes, but down for the count."_ Raven says as she looks down on him in flight.

"_Great, let's get him to old man Merlin."_ Wally adds.

"Agreed." Raven replies before vanishing, spotting the fleet of planes appearing on the horizon.

* * *

**Authors Note:** Hope it was worth the wait :) Next we have to see how other people take it.


	15. Tradeoff

"_Guess you saw that?"_ Terrific asks over the communications array in the Bat Wing, Richard just nods while eying the mushroom cloud, he's pretty sure everyone with eyes in this region saw it. _"Got some more bad news to go with that, the blast is enough to contaminate the entire island. But it gets better; the pressure may have damaged the dam and the other nuclear plant."_

"Ok everyone, new situation; Captain Atom, this is your area, clean up as much as you can. Captain Marvel; we need you to check out the dam for damage. Green Lantern, I need you to come with me to the other power plant." Richard instructs

"_What about the rest of us?"_ Donna asks.

"The island is a hot zone, meaning it has lethal levels of radiation right now, until Captain Atom has it under control it's too dangerous to set foot on the island without proper protection." Batman explains.

"_No offense kiddo, but I think it's better if we send in Palmer than you. He's a science expert after all."_ Green Arrow mentions and Richard is silent for a few seconds.

"Agreed. Palmer, go with Lantern and get the other plant secured." Richard orders while silently being annoyed he wouldn't have a chance to find out of who won the power struggle before reminding himself that he didn't even know if either of them survived. "The rest of us will have to wait till the radiation is under control."

"_In case of hostiles?"_ Captain Atom asks as he passes by Richards's jet, normally he wouldn't ask but there simply was no telling if the Oolong scientist had made something that could withstand a blast like that.

"Engage and subdue, but priority is the listed targets." Richard replies.

_"Got an incoming transmission from China."_ Terrific says before a rust-brown armored man appears on Richards screen.

"_Justice League, this is August General in Iron of the Great Ten, vacate the area immediately!"_ Richard sighs, just what he needed, nationalist meta-humans.

_The Rock of Eternity:_

"As you requested; Black Adam." Raven says to the ghost in his seat before dropping the ankle she was holding onto.

"Yes, a fine piece of work. As the terms of our bargain remains fulfilled; the spell you requested." The wizard replies; as a scroll of paper lifts from a jar next to his chair and floats to Raven, who suspends it in mid flight and has it unfurl in front of her without touching it, finding it written in Sanskrit.

"Can I ask where you acquired this?" Raven asks as she looks up from the scroll.

"All magic passes through the Rock of Eternity, every spell and incantation cast is recorded here. But what you are asking is where it came from. In the region of today's India a sorcerer once believed that he would not achieve nirvana during his life and began fearing rebirth as a lesser creature, thus he devised this spell, amongst others, so that his spirit could return to his body before he was reborn." Shazam explains. "This was one of the many he tried before he believed he succeeded."

"Did it work?" Raven asks. "The one he believed was the right one?" She elaborates as she notes this spell wasn't possible to cast alone and it required that the wizard had already died, meaning others would want him back.

"After a fashion, the man was reborn in his body as he wished it would. Alas for him, as he died at his desk, he knocked over the candle providing his light and his body was horribly burnt when he resurrected. He died again shortly after, I believe he was reborn as a pig or a monkey." Shazam says while looking into the distance while stroking his beard as if not remembering the incident clearly before noticing Raven again. "You look unwell?" He notes as she sways a little.

"Must be the radiation." Raven guesses, she is feeling a little nauseous.

"I see, I will send you to those who can aid you, farewell Raven of the Pit." Shazam says as his eyes glow again and Raven finds herself back on the League satellite in a shower room.

"_Radiation shower."_ Bruce mentions. _"Store the scroll and take one, don't change shape."_

"_Radiation could be instantly fatal for you in your normal shape." _John adds as they all come to the realization that Raven's bubble hadn't been completely radiation proof at best.

"_After that, you need to have yourself checked out in the infirmary."_ Diana continues, remembering Raven had walked through Tartarus with a broken arm and not noticed, and a broken arm was at least one thing she'd have after that fight.

"Not that I don't mind the concern, but you are fussing." Raven says wearily as she shuts the door before activating the communications array next to it. "Hello, anyone there?"

"_Raven? Is that you?"_ Terrific asks.

"Yeah, I'm in the radiation shower." She replies.

"_Figure you might need that. Was it necessary blowing up the entire island?" _Even through the circuits, Raven can feel the annoyance in the man's voice.

"It was an accident." She sighs.

"_One that's killed over 200 people."_

"What?" Raven asks in surprise, she was certain she had removed everyone from the island.

"_They haven't found the bodies yet, but the blast would have killed everyone else there."_ Raven sighs in relief at this.

"I removed everyone from the island before that, sent them to another dimension." The line is dead for a second.

"_Which one?"_

"The one I hold some sway over, they will be fine unless they don't follow one very simple rule."

"_Hmm ok. Get decontaminated and then you bring them back."_

"I think I may need something more than a shower." Raven says as her vision blurs for a second, causing her to lean against a wall, a tickle in the back of her throat has her coughing into her hand that comes away with blood in it. "Oh no." Raven says before blacking out, knocking her head into the wall.

"_Raven...?"_

_Later, the Watchtower:_

"Well, I'll admit she is sturdy, most other people would have ended up like bacon with her amount of rads I'm pulling off her." A voice says, as Raven regains consciousness.

"At least she is mending." A familiar voice continues, though it sounds muffled. "She is coming to." The voice says as Raven opens her eyes into a painfully bright light, one that fades after a few blinks enough for her to see two figures standing above her. "Rae?"

"Uhh, what happened?" She asks, only dimly remembering talking to Terrific before blacking out.

"You appeared on the station with enough radiation to power the old space gun for a blast, exchanged a few words with Terrific, and then passed out." The un-muffled voice says, to Raven's vision he appears to be made of silver, the other is wearing an orange radiation suit.

"Terrific jumped into a radiation suit and got you scrubbed clean before isolating you here." The other one says, Raven finally identifies him to be Richard despite the muffling of his voice. "After we were done, the Captain has helped remove any radiation the shower didn't."

"How long was I out?"

"Four hours and 32 minutes." Captain Atom replies as Raven tries to sit up. "Easy, you will still be dizzy for some time."

"Rae, we have to know…" Richard begins as she sits up.

"The power plant was an accident." She sighs knowing where he was going. "I didn't realize where he was heading before it was too late."

"And everyone on the island?!" Richard asks. "The Patrol?! Beastboy?!" Raven can sense the anger present in his being before it starts creeping into his voice. "We found several dead guards on the ground, but none were dead from the explosion."

"They should be fine, I got careless and Adam turned on the guards when he believed I was down. Everyone else is in another dimension, if they are fine is another matter."

"Rae, where are they?" Richard asks sternly.

"The Eight Pit." Raven says while looking up at him. "And if I have to transport them back; I have to get back to Oolong." She says as she tries to get her head on straight.

"No you aren't, besides from the fact the island can now glow in the dark, China saw fit to arrive and evict Cale and her bunch, and they do have a valid claim to the island." Richard says. "Why weren't you in disguise?" He continues as he thought they had agreed Raven would only resort to full scale violence as a last resort and he had thought that Raven would have been able to leave the island relatively damage free.

"We found something on Oolong the others decided would bring the League down on Oolong anyways, making the disguise moot." Raven sighs.

"What?" Richard asks.

"A prototype dimensional portal to Apokolips, Cale wanted to trade technology with them. And with Luthor back, the others are sure Darkseid is back as well. I broke into Cale's head to find out about this thing."

"_If that's true, she was right in blowing cover. Contact with Apokolips has been outlawed on a UN level since the invasion, along with the possession of technology from there."_ Raven looks past Richard to see Mr. Terrific standing on the other side of a glass window. _"But it will be hard to prove now."_

"Excluding the equipment Orion, Barda and Mr. Miracle carry of course " Captain Atom adds. "But I doubt the UN will be too interested in that when what was clearly a several megaton nuclear explosion went off on an island that wasn't supposed to even have that kind of material."

"_That will be our saving grace, China has for a very long time been pushing for strict controls of what was happening on Oolong; the blast just validated their concerns. Even if they really just wanted to get their hands on the tech they produced." _Terrific continues.

"Ok, so I can't bring them back there, but where then?" Raven asks.

"Spread them." Richard says after a moment. "All the guards and non-scientists. Dump the rest in Iron Heights. Leave the Patrol up here." He continues, before turning and walks out.

"He is really mad, isn't he?" Raven asks over her shoulder to Captain Atom.

"Had to deal with the Chinese super functionaries, can't blame him." Atom says while drawing the last of the radiation away. "All done, but you need to be aware you still have a risk of developing cancer." She nods at him in understanding, they simply didn't know how her body would react to the radiation exposure. "But you got him?"

"Yeah, eventually." She replies as she notes it down she needed to go see Mid-Night about a general checkup in the near future.

"Good, they put the cloth in the trophy hall after decontaminating it."

"Cloth?" Raven asks. "What cloth?"

"That piece from his chest with the lightning bolt on it, it was still stuck to those." Atom says while nudging the scallops on her arm with a finger. "So are you going to change back in case there's still something left?"

"Not yet, I have some things to do first." Raven replies. "But thank you."

"No problem ma'am." Atom replies while saluting her as Raven gives him a slight smile and a nod before she disappears, letting him turn to Terrific. "Michael, might I ask what we are going to do if Cale takes us to court over all of this?"

"First of all we have no idea if Cale knows Raven or that she is affiliated with the League, the blast has most likely destroyed all records they had on the island. And finally if push comes to shove, I am certain that if the Founders agreed there was reason for her to break cover, then they will have seen something. Not to mention whatever else they might have come across on an island populated by people with no regards for human life." Terrific shrugs, he wasn't that bothered by the prospect of Cale trying to place blame, because it would mean the League had all the reason to talk about what they knew about the island, which would backfire on her.

_The Eight Pit:_

"Uh oh, I think something is coming our way." Cliff says as he spots what he thinks is a dark carpet that moves towards them from the distance.

"_Pretend as if you don't know me, pass it along."_ Raven's voice filters into Beastboy's head, he waves the others over in a small circle around him.

"It's Raven, pretend you don't know her." He whispers to the others, who look at each other before nodding in agreement, in time to look up as a chorus of wolf like howls heralds the arrival of several figures that distance themselves from the dark carpet that halts.

Beastboy recognizes the monstrous shape of Cerberus as it runs towards them, with three shapes flying besides it. As they come closer, some recognizes the Emissary flying besides Cerberus, the other two are unknown to them, but they appear to be the archetypical demon. With broad shoulders, red mottled skin, curling horns, huge bat wings and long manes of black hair and the cloven feet of goats.

The group comes to a halt a few meters from the perimeter, the Emissary marked, revealing the two unknown demons to also have four yellow glowing eyes and are as tall as the Emissary. But these carry huge weapons, one a huge axe the other carrying two smaller ones. At the sight, several people begin crying in fright. As if it was needed, the Emissary thumps his staff into the ground for attention.

"Kneel humans. The Mistress desires to speak to you." He says before a black flame rises out of the ground, before a figure steps out of it. Although it is human height, there is no hiding that she is by far the most powerful of the group, it just seems to radiate off her or it could just be the fact that the towering monsters behind her lower their gazes to the ground as she appears.

"Emissary, how many?" Raven asks without turning to face the demons.

"Three crossed the line you ordered erected, Mistress." The demon replies, besides the first guard, two others had after two hours of waiting braved the circle after careful scouting out the area and the skies, the others only heard their screams when they obviously ran into something.

"Hmm, very well. Let's see what we have left." She continues as she looks over the group of people. "Urgh! Should have thrown them back." She says and pulls a face.

"Indeed, they are not up to specifications. Except perhaps that group." The Patrol suddenly feels uncomfortable as they are regarded more closely.

"Yes, they may prove useful. The rest is waste." Raven agrees, getting a few worried looks to pass between the humans.

"To the grinders?" The Emissary asks.

"I won't foul the army with such poor nutrition!" Raven snaps back at the suggestion.

"Of course, my apologies Mistress." The Emissary says quickly while bowing and backs away.

"Now be gone from my realm." Raven says to the group as her eyes glow and most of the scientists and guards are swallowed by black flames before disappearing under yelps and shouts. "And you." Raven says as her shadows spread, she leaps forwards, swallowing the Doom Patrol and those they liberated, behind her Cerberus rushes forwards and leaps into the shadow as it shrinks.

_The Watchtower:_

"Well, that was fun." Mento notes, as he takes in the arrival hall of the satellite with clattering teeth, like the rest of the group.

"Sorry, it gets colder when we enter space for some reason." Raven says with fogging breath.

"Raven? I thought I said Iron Heights?" Batman asks as he eyes the group with the Patrol.

"Shivana's human test subjects. I doubt that Iron Heights was where anyone would send them." Raven replies flatly as she faces the man shortly before turning back to the group, still sensing his anger. "You are safe; these people will help you now." She says in several different languages. "I am sorry if I scared you." She says as the Spanish speaking woman erupts in a scared yelp as the young girl runs from her and over to Raven, who looks surprised, the child only radiates happiness.

"_Mama always says we should thank those who help us. So, thank you lady." _The girl says in Spanish while looking up at Raven before hugging her right leg.

"_No problem."_ Raven replies a little stunned and pats the child on the head gently before the girl runs back to her mother, who hugs her closely. "I need to go to the infirmary, if that is ok with you?" Raven asks while eyeing Batman, who just steps aside after a moments staring contest, letting her pass.

"_He still seemed angry."_ Shayera notes as they walk.

"_He was always like that when things didn't happen the way he wanted them to."_ Raven sends back.

"_Really? He should have had contingency plans ready?"_ Bruce asks.

"_Oh he had plenty, but I think he always wanted plan A to be the one that succeeded. I think, without being disrespectful, that he wanted to prove he could plan as well as you can."_

"_He ought to know how often my first plan is replaced by a number of others."_ Bruce mentions.

"_I know, wasn't it Helmuth von Moltke that said; 'No plan survives contact with the enemy'?"_ Raven asks.

"_It was, but I hope you didn't plan yours out from that perspective."_ Bruce continues.

"_No, but I like the quote, ever since I did make one plan that was thrown at the beginning. Stupid mistake of mine, miscalculation of hostiles and that they were armed."_ She sighs as she enters the infirmary, finding Pieter and a few other doctors there who look up in surprise at her. "Don't worry, it's just me." She says the other doctors look at Pieter for confirmation; he just nods, recognizing her voice.

"You don't look injured?" Pieter notes.

"Not yet. But when I change back, and get out of my armor, I will be." Raven says as she walks over and sits on one of the vacant beds. "If you have the time that is?"

"Of course." Pieter says quickly, guessing she was halfway expecting to be turned away. "Umm, can we move you into the suite you were treated in last time?" He asks, getting a quizzing look from her. "We had Fate up to ward it in case you were injured again." Raven nods at this and gets up to walk into the room across the hall from the main section of the infirmary, Raven had noted that you could stand in one room and look at the occupants of the other with some dissatisfaction. "Ok, so how do you get out of it? Are you even wearing it?" He asks.

"Becomes a second layer of skin when I transform." Raven explains while sitting down. "I have to do this gradually, if I pass out the transformation stops."

"That will hurt if the injuries are serious, will you need any painkillers?" Pieter asks.

"I don't know if they even work on me right now." She replies. _"Diana, have you ever taken any?"_

"_Sorry, can't say that I have."_

"I think it would be best if I can think clearly at first." Raven sighs.

"I'll be out here, no need for you to worry about injuring me. Fate assured me the wards will hold." Raven nods as he walks out and closes the door behind him before appearing in the window.

"Wing's first." Raven says as the appendages first shrink before disappearing into her back slowly while she grinds her teeth together at the searing pain it brings her. "Hurts." She says as they disappear completely. "I'll be fine." She says before Pieter can talk to her. "Horns and tail." Fortunately for her, she only gets a mild headache from these two. "Ok, the legs normally hurt." She warns before digging her fingers into the mattress and grinds her teeth again as she changes, growling in pain all the while, gasping for air when it is done.

"_You ok?"_ Pieter asks.

"No, hurts like hell!" Raven heaves, she doesn't notice the freed captives being led into the main infirmary behind Pieter.

"_Are you sure you can do it?"_ He asks.

"No, I am not sure what injuries I will have other than my right arm will be broken and I might still be irradiated. And I can't do this last bit partially, like I've done so far." She says as she lies down on the bed. "Here goes nothing." She says as she changes, at first she feels nothing, then it all rushes into her mind and her eyes roll into the back of her skull as she moans and writhes in pain as the injuries make themselves felt. Dr. Mid-Night rushes in.

"Raven? Raven?!" He asks while trying to hold onto her head to see if he can get her to focus and almost gets thrown through the window by a flailing left arm. "Damnit!" He swears as he calls for the crash team by pushing a button on his belt as he gets out a syringe with a clear liquid from his belt, testing for blocks quickly before he literally jumps onto Raven's stomach and forces the needle into her neck between the chain links of the armor. He holds onto her as she gradually slows her movements and she dozes off. The team enters as Mid-Night gets off her. "We need to get this armor off fast, she's hurt bad underneath." He says before beginning to undress her, unknown to him and the others, the former captives are all standing at the window in the other room, staring at the very human face that hid beneath the demon's.

_Later:_

"How bad is it?" Richard asks as Mid-Night exits after the first check up.

"Severe concussion, broken right arm and lower left leg, several cracked ribs, numerous lacerations and huge bruises." Pieter says. "I'm surprised she could even walk, much less act with those injuries."

"I suspect she doesn't actually feel them when transformed, probably meant as a reason for her to stay that way." Richard says having drifted into 'mission mode' as Beastboy calls it, where he is emotionally detached from the events around him. "Is she mending?"

"Yes, but at a normal pace this time. I suspect the concussion is to blame for that, Zatanna once had one and couldn't focus properly for a period of time." Richard nods at this, Raven once had the same problem, but it had been a mild one. "As long as it's there, I will recommend she doesn't try and do magic, in Zatanna's case it almost made it worse." Richard nods again.

"How's Zee?" He asks quietly.

"Physically fine, I can't go into details." Mid-Night says. "It's her head that worries me, but it's outside my field. I will go and see if there is a chair for Raven." He continues before turning away.

"Thank you." Richard says quietly as the man walks away, knowing he was heard. He is actually breaking on the inside, while maintaining a rocky exterior in the face of the situation on the other side of the glass.

He had seen people in Raven's condition before, usually people he and the others had saved from a gang or an unfortunate person who had received a 'lesson' as the Gotham Mafia's called them. Raven is wearing a hospital grown along with an IV drop in her left arm and a oxygen mask, her right arm and left leg is in a cast. While not much of her is visible of her besides the face and her left arm, Richard has a dreadful suspicion that the rest of her body is as beaten as those, swollen, blue and almost yellow as they are.

"She won." Terrific says, startling Richard slightly as he had spaced out. "China has been on the horn for the last hour accusing us of deliberately destroying everything worthwhile on the island."

"The blast and the fight?" Richard asks.

"EMP the blast generated took out everything electronic, this close even any shielding would have been blown away, the only papers the Chinese have found were in Cale's house, which had been blown into the sea. Also the fight started several fires inside the labs further ruining anything near them." Terrific explains. "What worries me is that even with all of this, there might be some robotics left intact enough for them to work with. But I told them it had nothing to do with us and we were there to investigate some of the rumors Oolong has cultivated, show of force was just in case Cale refused us entry."

"A next generation Amazo I suppose is possible?" Batman asks getting a nod. "And the Patrol? Mento seemed a little different when he got up here."

"They were lied to; Mento was being subtly controlled by Caulder into doing his bidding without it seeming suspicious. Raven had to pass through them to get to Adam in the first place, and she helped them discover something." Richard turns to face the man next to him, sensing something bad. "Caulder arranged for the accidents that created Robotman, Negative-Man and Elasti-Girl to happen. It's because of him they are what they are today."

"Where is Caulder now?" Richard asks with a dangerous edge in his voice.

"Iron Heights intensive care unit, Robotman hurled him into a wall after they found out, admitted by the man himself, no remorse there."

"And where's the Patrol now?"

"They went back to their HQ in the Alps after their debriefing, Mento said he wanted to think everything through and the others needed time to deal with it, Beastboy has stayed behind however." Terrific adds. "Him and the others were here a few hours ago to check up on her."

"They wondered where I was?" Richard asks as he turns back to the window.

"I don't know, they seemed more concerned about her. Starfire seemed particular upset about it. Fate has been by to collect the scroll I found with her in the shower."

"I know, I sent for him." Richard replies flatly. "I'm getting lost in Bruce's monster." He sighs to no one in particular, knowing how emotionally detached he is becoming from everything when he is dressed up in the cape and cowl, and he doesn't like it.

"You are." Terrific agrees. "Look I know Adam and while I don't condone Oolong being turned into a wasteland, I know that if Adam is involved, widespread devastation is almost assured and you shouldn't blame her for it, given a chance he'd throw the island at her with everyone on it. And that little stunt in the main hall…"

"Was out of line, I know." Richard sighs. "I'm trying so hard to imitate him that I fear that I have become him, I keep thinking 'what would Bruce do? How would he act here?' And so on. And that's tough for me to do."

"Remember, Raven has him inside her head, if she does anything wrong, she will know about it. But also remember that you don't have to pretend to be him up here, I doubt those refugee's have even heard about Batman." Terrific says while throwing a look at the people in the large infirmary hall.

"I can't risk people finding out he's gone." Richard sighs.

"No, but I know you, through Bruce, well enough to know that you are more than aware of when people are around you." Terrific continues.

"Not always." Richard sighs, thinking about Slade. "How are they?" He asks and throws a nod at the captives being cared for in the infirmary behind him.

"Malnourished, a little scared and have I don't know how many drugs in their systems, none of it good but they will make it." He replies before pausing. "It's strange; the woman with the child was dead scared of Raven when they got here, now she keeps asking if she will be ok."

"She is wondering if what they saw was real." Richard surmises.

"Probably, but I would be as well if I got my ass hauled to safety by something that looked like her and if I had faith." Terrific shrugs with a smirk.

"I've always wondered about that, how can you not have a little in this world we live in?" Richard asks, knowing Terrific is a proclaimed atheist.

"Everything can be explained in terms of science, heaven and hell are just other dimensions to me and magic is just a type of energy only few can wield." Terrific explains. "Wish there was more though or that the understanding of it was better, there would be no limit to what could be accomplished."

"Personally I think it best its limited, the world is scared enough by the idea of some cook getting his hand on uranium, imagine Luthor or Joker getting the powers of Zatanna or Fate?" Richard sighs. "And if everyone suddenly had it, everything would erupt in chaos."

"Yeah, unfortunately. I'd just wish that it could be used for something more than law-breaking and enforcement." Terrific sighs.

* * *

**Author's Note: **While it was a victory, it had it's price. Next chapter: Monitor Duty :)


	16. Monitor Duty

"You know, coming here was a swell idea?" Beastboy says as he Starfire and Cyborg stand in the memorial park in Jump City. Cyborg had suggested it after Starfire began getting increasingly worried over Raven's condition, he and Beastboy had agreed she needed to be distracted since her change in mood would affect her own condition.

"Yeah, almost feels like home." Cyborg replies. "Nice to know they remember." He notes at the statues.

"Incorrect as the information may be." Starfire sighs at her statue after having read the information sheet.

They are all wearing holorings so they won't draw too much attention. Starfire's making her look like a tanned redheaded woman with green eyes wearing a pink sleeveless top and white pants, Beastboy had sighed in relief under his breath that the holoring had hidden all of the scars Starfire carry.

"Hey, don't worry, I'm sure we can get that fixed." Beastboy says while putting a hand on her shoulders, she looks up at him, giving him a sad smile.

"One side kids!" A man's voice orders to the complaints of a group of kids standing in front of Raven's statue. The Titans attention is drawn to the scene as a slick blond man in a blue suit and red tie takes up position in front of the statue with a microphone while a camera crew of three gets ready. One handling the camera one with an umbrella, shielding the man from the Jump City noon sun. And the last, a woman with a powder box busy making the man look good.

"Ready?" The man asks as the other one pulls back, the guy with the camera holds up three fingers and counts down.

"Hey! And welcome to Lionwell's Prime Time!" The man's announcement makes a knot form in both Beastboy's and Cyborg's stomachs. "Today we touch the subject of the latest 'Raven sightings' and so we rapport from the Titan Memorial Park, or as we call it The Park of Arrogance." He says with a smile, Cyborg tugs on Starfire's and Beastboy's shoulders, wanting to leave before Gary says something he would come to regret, but Starfire just remains standing. "As you have heard from other sources, we had not one, but two suspected sightings of the Witch Girl this week and on the same day! Which again opens the question, is she still here? Or was her whole disappearance after destroying the city and Titan's Tower just an act?" The man asks as he looks up at the statue behind him. "A few days ago a gang of ruffians claimed to have been molested by one claiming to be the so called hero and an hour later a group of kids were assaulted in a pizza parlor by an individual with strange powers." He continues as he turns back to the camera. "Now I know what you are all thinking, are we heading back to those times when Jump city lived in fear of the violent Witch of the Island? And as concerned citizens, we demand answers and actions to be taken against such an event from happening! Go tell your city councilmen we demand that this individual be locked up!" Beastboy and Cyborg are almost boiling with rage at the man, but theirs is nothing next to what Starfire is.

"Friend Cyborg, hold this." She says before pulling off her ring and hands it to him, revealing her true state, which is still a far cry from her old appearance. Gary is cut off mid sentence as Starfire grabs him and lifts him off the ground by his collar in front of the rolling camera. "You will cease you vile talk about Raven this instant!" She demands as her eyes begin glowing a bright green.

"Holy crap…" The cameraman gasps.

"Starfire?" The woman with the makeup box asks, hardly recognizing her.

"Star, put him down." Beastboy says while pulling his own ring off. "He's not worth the effort."

"Put me down!" Gary whines.

"No, you will cease your talk behind the back of Raven!" Starfire replies, giving Gary a good shake.

"Star, better do what Rae did, forget this creep exists." Beastboy sighs as he pats her shoulder.

"Hrmph!" Starfire grumbles after a second of thought and drops Gary on the ground before she walks off, followed by the others.

"Did you get that?" Gary asks his crew from the ground as they are busy staring after the three.

"Star, you want this back?" Cyborg asks as they walk down the streets, getting a few stares after them as he hands her the holoring.

"No, I will not hide myself here. Neither should you." Starfire says.

"She's right; we never had to hide here." Beastboy agrees as he pockets his ring.

"I guess you are right, people are used to us." Cyborg says as he disengages his own. "So where to?"

"You know, I'm really in the mood for pizza right about now." Beastboy says.

"I agree, I also have the craving for sustenance." Starfire adds.

"All right! Pizza it is then." Cyborg says with a smile.

As they walk they notice how much the city has changed since they lived here, revisiting spots of interest, joking and generally ignoring the people they pass. Eventually ending up at Mario's Pizza.

"Looks like he's still in good business." Cyborg notes at the crowd inside.

"Hey check out the specials." Beastboy notes at the pizzas named after them. "Sweet!"

Unseen by them, one of the waiters disappear behind the counter when she spots them, emerging shortly after with an elderly man with a large graying mustache in tow, who looks at them for a second before opening the last cash register, waving them over.

"Mario, my man, good to see you." Cyborg says happily as he recognizes him.

"And Cyborg, my best customer." The old man replies smiling as they approach. "And Beastboy and Starfire, how good it is to see you here again."

"Likewise." Beastboy says happily.

"Yes, we are most happy to see you again friend Mario." Starfire adds happily and floats a little off the floor.

"Oh my dear, what has happened to you?" The old man asks as he notices her injuries.

"Too much, but I wish not to talk about it here." Starfire says a little downhearted and drift back onto the ground.

"I see, so what can I get you kids?" Mario asks.

"I think we should have the specials." Cyborg says Mario smiles at him and punches in the numbers into his register. "I see biz is booming."

"It is, after Raven disappeared, you Titans kinda became a tourist attraction for the city." Mario replies. "Say, did you ever find her?"

"Yeah, she's fine, just the whole thing with the dragon was too much for her." Beastboy adds.

"I can understand, that Gary 'Garbagemonger' never relented and neither did those protestors." Mario sighs as Cyborg hands him the money. "They should be ready in a few moments, find a seat." He says.

The group all heads up to their old seats, finding them vacant except for a dark man in a pinstriped suit under a brown trench coat that just appears to be sitting there.

"Figured you'd show up at some point." He says as he notices them.

"Erm, do we know you?" Beastboy asks, normally it was something serious if someone you didn't know just found you or sought you out.

"Sorry, I'm Harold Turner, Editor in chief of the Jump City Herald." The man says as he gets up. "I was at the Tower when you guys split." He man says as he shakes hands with them. "So I hear some rumors that Raven has been found?"

"Not to be rude or anything, but we already had to put up with Lionwell." Cyborg says before it dawns on him. "What rumors?"

"Oh don't worry; I'm not riding Gary's train to fame. What rumors you ask? Well, for one I had a Leaguer with wings asking me questions about her a month or two ago. And a few days ago, a gang of bikers reported they were assaulted by two young people who promptly kicked their asses, in that alley right over there." Harold says while pointing at the alley in question. "An hour later a group of punks decided to try and force a young man and a woman away from this very table, one ended up with a broken nose, teeth and whiplash while the rest was thrown into the square before their clothes was ripped to pieces. The man and woman promptly vanished in a puff of smoke." The Titans look at each other before Cyborg answers him.

"Raven has been found, but we can't say if it was her here, things have been pretty crazy around us for the last couple of months." Cyborg says as he sits down with the rest.

"Anything you can talk about?" Harold asks as he sits down as well.

"Only that she was very heavily involved in what happened out at the Penitentiary." Cyborg says, wondering how much Raven could forgive him for letting out.

"Yes, and she was accompanying the Wonder Woman at the party before that, at least I have been told she was." Starfire chips in.

"That was her?" Harold asks in surprise. "I told my office that it couldn't be? This I gotta hear, off the book if necessary."

"Well, we will tell you if you keep it out of the papers." Cyborg says, getting a nod from the man. "Thing is; Raven reappeared in Gotham two months ago, roughly, intending on taking up residence there. The problem was that something went wrong somewhere with someone, and the League came looking for her. After butting heads with them, she was given a series of trials she was to go through before they decided if she should be offered membership or not. Now one of those tests involved her getting shipped off with Wonder Woman to Paradise Island for some training. While there she attracted some unwanted attention, I can't specify what really and I swear I'm not making this up, but that event and her performance over there had the Amazons extend their hands to her. Raven is an Amazon now, and she was sent along with Wonder Woman to the Presidential Ball as a supplicant." Harold just stares at Cyborg while he talks.

"If you had been anyone else; I'd say you should stop wasting my time with stories like that. But is this real?" He asks getting a round of nods from them. "Wish I could see proof of this?"

"Well I have some recorded, but I'm not sure if Rae would be too happy about me showing them without her consent." Cyborg admits.

"You could always contact the embassy?" Beastboy suggests. "What?" He asks at the look Cyborg sends him before relenting.

"Nothing, yeah you could." He agrees.

"Think I might." Harold says with a smile before his eyes rest on Starfire. "Good Lord what happened to you?"

"My sister." Starfire says with a heavy note of sadness. "I was told four years ago that my K'norfka was dying and that I had to return to Tamaran. Unknown to me, this was a trap set by my sister Blackfire…" Starfire begins telling the lengthy tale of her trials, only broken up by the serving of pizza with Mario joining them and the occasional clarification from the two other Titans.

_The Watchtower Infirmary:_

"nevaR ekaw pu!" The voice says and she feels herself waking up to a blurred world with three shapes standing around her.

"Raven can you hear me?" A calm male voice asks, she nods a little.

"Are you certain this is wise?" Another steady male voice says.

"Mid-Night said we could." The female replies. Raven's vision gradually clears, allowing her to identify the three speakers, Zatanna, Fate and Jason, while she fumbles with the mask on her face with her left hand. "Easy, let me get that."

"What time is it?" Raven asks weakly feeling like she had been caught in a stampede.

"10:47 in Gotham, you have been out for three days now." Dr. Fate says.

"Seems injuries become more apparent on you when you change." Jason notes.

"How bad is it?" Raven asks.

"Broken arm, leg, cracked ribs and a severe concussion, Mid-Night told us to tell you, you shouldn't try working magic with it." Zatanna explains getting a slight nod from Raven. "Not to mention the numerous bruises you have."

"Did you get the scroll?" Raven asks.

"We did." Jason confirms. "But there is a problem with it." Raven looks at him with a questioning look.

"Parts of the text are missing." Fate says.

"What?" Raven asks as a small hint of worry grows in her that it had all been for nothing.

"It's like parts of the text was never written, some words and passages are missing, including the name of the spell." Zatanna explains.

"Wasn't when I looked." Raven sighs as she thinks back, unable to remember there being any missing bits.

"We think it's Shazam's doing, there are heavy traces of magic around the missing areas." Jason continues.

"For your eyes only." Fate muses, Raven raises her eyebrows a fraction before nodding. "We have gathered most of the other materials mentioned but the ritual needed is almost completely obscured to us."

"I will need to see it." Raven sighs. "Can I sit up?"

"Sure." Zatanna replies before putting a remote in Raven's left hand that governs the bed, after a little fiddling, as Fate walks outside and summons the scroll before returning, she is leaning back in the bed but is able to see the surface of the tray Jason pushes in front of her. Where Fate carefully rolls out the piece of parchment for her to see.

"It is called the Corpse Dance." Raven says while reading the title.

"The Dance Macabre?" Zatanna asks in surprise.

"Yes, what pieces are you missing?" Raven asks.

"Those here, here and here. And there is a huge bit missing from here to here." Jason says while pointing them out.

"Hmm, Hydra Venom, Feather of the First Fallen, Hair from an Ageless Mortal and a Dragon's Claw." Raven says before looking up at the others.

"I think we can manage the Venom and the Claw, but the Feather and Hair is going to be difficult." Fate says as Jason cast a worried look at Zatanna.

"What?" Raven asks as she notes Jason's expression.

"Feather of the First Fallen, means it's a feather from one Lucifer Morningstar's wings and he doesn't shed." Jason says.

"Lucifer is real?" Raven asks in surprise, it had been her understanding that Lucifer was just a figure of speech or a loose description of a collective of people rather than a single real person, because Hell was so fractured no one would ever be able to unite it the way the Morningstar was to have done.

"Unfortunately, but he abandoned Hell many years ago." Zatanna says. "Constantine should know where he is, unless he just made up the encounters he's had with him."

"So the ritual?" Fate mentions and Raven's attention returns to the scroll.

"Hmm, in order to conduct the ritual, the Vessel must acquire the listed remedies and the assistance of the following; a damned soul, a heavenly soul and two grand practitioners of the mystic arts. Also a place of great mystic power must be the location of the ritual. The casters must cast the following spells in this order; The Damned casts the Invocation of Nehek, thus willing the prepared body to move. The Agent of Heaven must then sanctify the event, thus giving Heavens permission. The Litanies of Balance must be uttered by the grand mages while the ritual takes place, thus stabilizing the ritual. Once animated, the Vessel must dance the Dance of Death till the soul settles." Raven reads aloud.

"_That sounds wrong on so many levels."_ Wally mentions.

"_That's magic for you."_ Raven sends back after she finishes. "Did you get it all?"

"Yes, we will see what we can do. We will need to look into the modifications we need to accomplish this for them all." Fate says before he and Jason heads out the door.

"Zatanna, how are you holding up?" Raven asks as Zatanna is also beginning to head out the door.

"I'll be ok, don't worry about me. Thank you for asking." She says while giving Raven a slight smile before walking out the door.

"No problem." Raven replies before drifting off to sleep again after letting her healing powers work, setting them to very low key.

Raven wakes up later when Mid-Night bangs something against the doorframe and curses under his breath. As she watches, he pulls an odd floating chair backwards into the room before turning to face her. "I see you are awake."

"Since you are so quiet." Raven replies, she does feel better than when the others visited. "So how long am I going to be stuck in that?" She says while motioning at the chair.

"Only till your leg heals, which I guess will be a very short period of time after your head does. Now, let's see how the rest injuries are doing?" He says as he walks over to her left side and look at her arm. "Hmm, they certainly healed fast." He notes at some of the bruises. "I would as a doctor recommend you not try and work magic in your current condition."

"Duly noted, but I can adjust the rate I am doing it in." She replies flatly as Mid-Night pulls out a plastic ballpoint pen.

"Let me show you something. You are using it right now?" He asks, getting a nod. "Ok, follow the pen with your eyes." He says while moving the pen slowly from side to side in front of her. "As I have understood, magic needs a lot of concentration to work, with a concussion like yours, a little thing like this." He says as he quickly taps Raven on the head with the end of the pen, causing a black discharge of energy to race off her and over the floor before disappearing in the far wall. "Can cause unpredictable results." He finishes as Raven blinks a few times at the impact. "I can take the chair away again if needed."

"Ok fine, I'm a hazard being around if I do it. But I can't wait weeks or months for this to happen naturally." Raven sighs.

"So I heard, but you will have to wait till your head is healed properly before you can mend the arm and leg. But the damage should be completely gone in three weeks, unless complications arise. And I need to warn you, if too many complications arise you may suffer lasting damage." Raven groans at the time frame.

"So what am I supposed to do in the meantime?" She sighs.

"Rest, it will only take longer to heal if you provoke it too much." Mid-Night says.

"I'm going to go nuts if I'm stuck in here."

"Well, if you lay off the magic, you are free to move around the station in the chair, it was designed for you restless types with concussions. The important thing is not to strain your head, so physical and strenuous mental challenges are verboten and rest when you are tired." He explains, trying to sound positive.

"So at least I am fit for monitor duty." She sighs.

"I'm sure Michael would appreciate the company, guy spends most of his time there." Mid-Night adds as he walks over to push the chair next to her bed. "Want to go see?" Raven just gives him a short look before throwing off the covers.

"Well don't you look comfy?" Terrific notes as Raven drifts over to him in the main hall of the satellite.

The chair can actually double as a bed, as it supports her spine all the way up to her head, and with an adjustable armrest that lets her broken limb rest comfortably while it is padded on all surfaces. Her legs and lower body are covered by a padded metal lid that doubles as a desk on her lap, before it slopes with her knees. Raven thought she looked like some kind of sentry robot, John had mentioned the chair was designed so the occupant could fight if needed since it was made so it couldn't just trip over in case of sudden movement. Mid-Night had demonstrated this by giving her a light push that had her rocking back and forth.

"I'll be glad when I can get out of this." Raven shrugs as she halts next to him, letting up on the joystick that controls the chair.

"Think we all would." Terrific says with a smile. "So you want me to show you the ropes of the ever exciting monitor duty?"

"Well I am unfit for almost anything else right now, but I can't just lie in a bed for weeks on end." She explains.

"All right, it's quite simple. This part is really all about receiving calls and assigning the right people to handle the situations and as you know, teleport them to where they need to be. Now the teleporter is something else, when we get a call from a Leaguer on the surface, we can trace their coordinates by their communicators that will be displayed here." He says as he points at a black bar on the console the first of three. "When they need to be moved, we have to type in their start coordinates in and then the destination. Since most people always talk in names and not coordinates, we just have to accurately guess where they want to go precisely. I made this list long ago, but I can memorize it now." He says as he hands her several pages of names and numbers that she glazes over before putting down again. "Now there are some places we can't reach and I listed them on the last page, like inside Fate's Tower. Other than that, from here we really are the voice of the League, since everyone will be directing her calls here. And that's all there is to it really."

"Sounds, monotonous." Raven notes.

"Depends on your view I guess." Terrific shrugs. "I like it, coordinating is a second nature to me when I am not working in the lab. Besides I have time to do my crosswords from here. Oh and help Oracle out with that pile of files you sent her." He adds with a smirk, telling Raven that some of that paper is now heading her way.

"Guess I can help you with some of that, but I'm not a scientist." She sighs.

"Don't worry, Oracle has sectioned up most of it, I and Atom are dealing with the most of the biology and tech notes, Oracle is currently tracking down the people that were supplying him with materials. What I think is yours will be his notes on the magical stuff, since none of us has the faintest clue about most of that." Raven looks slightly relieved he's not leaving the budget to her, before thinking about something.

"You know that will be letting me read about a ritual that trapped the most powerful mystic entity in existence?" She says.

"And?" Terrific shrugs with a raised eyebrow as if it was not a concern. "I can put together a working hydrogen bomb in my shed at home if I get the parts."

"Just checking." Raven shrugs back with the one shoulder she can move without hurting.

_Later:_

"_Oracle to Watchtower."_ The voice crackles from the speaker, breaking almost 10minutes of silence between Raven and Terrific, the longest period in two and a half hours where the pair had alternated in taking calls, deploying heroes and reading.

"Watchtower receiving; go ahead Oracle." Raven replies with the same sentence she had settled on after deciding that it didn't really matter who answered and the most people didn't seem to care either.

"_Raven is that you? Or am I talking to a machine?" _Oracle asks from the other end, for some reason Raven is a little wounded by this.

"It is. What can I help you with Oracle?" She replies, ignoring the feeling.

"_Well, I was calling to hear how Michael was coming with his part of the research on the stuff you found at Luthors. Is he around?"_

"The men's room at the moment." Raven replies.

"_Ah. So what are you doing on monitor duty? Thought you were with Fate?"_ Raven speculates Barbara already knows but is just striking up conversations.

"Oh I am, got the spell we need. Problem is I had to get hold of Black Adam to get it, and now I'm stuck in a wheelchair up here."

"_What?!" _Oracle nearly yells.

"Only temporarily, broken leg and arm that I can't heal before my concussion goes away. The important thing is we are almost set to get the Founders back when we get the last few bits and bobs." Raven replies flatly.

"_And how are you being in a wheelchair not important?" _Oracle barks.

"It's just temporary, besides Mr. Terrific has me reading up on the ritual Luthor used."

"_Those people in your head better be grateful for all the trouble you are going through."_ Barbara sighs. _"Sorry, I just get easily worked up about this. Joker decided to try and drive my dad nuts by shooting me, been in my chair ever since."_ Raven just goes silent at the revelation. _"Bruce was worried sick."_

"And your father made it through. For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

"_Don't be, I got back at him two years ago when he tried to finish me off, broke most of his teeth with one of my batons. So he made me a paraplegic and I've given him a fake smile. Unfortunately finding a good dentist is easier than a new spine."_

"Ever asked Fate or Zatanna?" Raven asks wondering why the League hadn't moved in.

"_No, I didn't know any of them before it was healed. Zatanna did offer to look for something when I met her, but told her not to bother, didn't want to cling to hope that she might find something for me when others needed her help more. Anyways, find out anything worthwhile on the ritual?"_ Barbara asks as she changes subject.

"Well, it's actually several rituals they mixed, so far I have found mention of two very powerful summoning rituals, the ones said to coax higher beings to come to the summoner. And so far I've found three binding spells also meant for very high caliber beings and I am talking way past Etrigan's level. The interesting part is how they managed to cast it; I begin to see why Luthor needed Circe and Tala to work it."

"_They are that good?"_

"They are both thousands of years old, Fate may have more power in his helmet but they have the experience. The good thing is that they are mostly out for fun, unfortunately they have a very bad sense of humor."

"_How when compared to you?"_

"I'm a novice really; I got a crash course and can't really control it. Everything else is telekinesis or astral projection."

"_Probably hit harder them tough."_ Barbara adds.

"Well, now I do, had I met either of them a year or so ago, I would have had my butt handed to me." Raven replies truthfully as Terrific plops down next to her. "Terrific is back."

"Yeah, Oracle?"

"_Ah Michael, I was just wondering how things are coming at your end." _Barbara asks.

"Well, his science is solid and advanced, at the moment I am reading up on the restraining devices he had installed." Terrific says as he leans back and picks up his stack of paper. "He initially only planned for one, but down the road he decided to make another one when he apparently was talked into trying for Wonder Woman, Circe's idea it seems."

"_I feel so special."_ Diana grumbles.

"While Circe seemed to want to make a big deal out of it, Luthor was more interested in the ritual, seemed to be a tradeoff between them." Michael continues. "She got Diana and Luthor got his ritual."

"_Go figure."_ Barbara replies. _"Down here I am crunching numbers of Lex Corp's budget; they are in deep trouble and have been ever since the direction changed. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before their stocks will drop like a ton of bricks when it's discovered."_

"_Hmm." _Bruce mumbles._ "I need to talk to Richard at some point, have Barbara send him a copy of the numbers."_

"Bruce wants you to send a copy to Richard." Raven says.

"_Already sent, Bruce has been looking for the option of acquiring Lex Corp for some time now. Mostly as a way to render Luthor penniless in case he returned."_ Barbara replies. _"But with Mercy running the show, and making money, it was impossible."_

"Ok, good to hear from you Oracle." Michael says.

"_You too. Oh, hey Raven, how's that dog of yours? Seems Zinda has grown attached to him, or at least she is pestering me to have one of her own." _

"Ah thanks for reminding me, forgot he jumped with me the last time." Raven says before opening a small portal, where Cerberus rushes out and begins barking happily.

"_Well someone sounds happy."_ Oracle notes.

"Hey boy." Michael says to the dog, letting it sniff his finger before patting it.

"_Well, I better get going; this stuff isn't going to read itself. You get well Raven, and I mean it."_ Barbara says before killing the link.

"Told her about your condition I take it?" Michael asks.

"Yeah." Raven says while dropping her hand to stroke Cerberus. "Can I persuade you to dial up Nightwing for me?" She asks and pretends to stretch for the dial.

"Heh, sure."

* * *

**Authors Notes: **So if you have press related issues, send in Starfire :) Next chapter the Founders are going to have a little action of their own.


	17. Nightmare Training

"Raven, can you hear me?" Bruce asks, as he stands in the forest of Bravery's realm, well knowing that she is currently asleep, but he is testing a theory.

"Only on a subconscious level." Raven's voice filters through to him before Bravery rises out of the shadows. "When I'm asleep, I've noticed I can still hear you when you are out of the chamber."

"Suspected it might be that way." Bruce shrugs.

"What can I do for you at this hour?" Bravery asks.

"I am testing a theory; scientists claim that while a person is asleep they are still capable of learning. Some tests were run by having a tape with a recorded message play while the person slept, but nothing could be proven." Bruce explains.

"Hmm, I wouldn't know, memory is not my function." Bravery replies flatly. "You should go talk to her about that."

"My theory involves you." Bruce replies before the impulsive emotion decided to leave on that note. "As you may have noticed, some of us are growing restless." So far he is pretty sure Superman and Diana have noticed it as well, one through his superior senses, the other through her warrior training that lets her see the ticks and twitches in the others.

"I have and it will affect me, if it continues." Bravery replies. "But you have a theory." She continues bluntly.

"While you sleep, I suggest we try and vent some of our energy with you; training you and us." Bruce replies equally blunt, it paid to be blunt but non-threatening with this emotion, he suspected if things got too complicated for it, it would turn violent as a natural defense.

"Hmm, and what good would that do for me? What you see me do; is me borrowing from Memory, like we all do. If you train me one thing, I won't remember it, I can't." The emotion continues. "Or am I being selfish and not looking beyond myself?"

"Since you are sleeping, Memory will be cut off from the real world." Bruce had been around the library last night to find out about this. Wisdom was snoozing in her chair, while Memory was just standing on the ground looking like it was halfway between sleeping and awake, it was however aware of him when he approached it, but not fully.

"Except when I am sleeping upside down. But I am not the one to decide this, but I see where you are heading." Bravery says as six other Primal emotions appear out of the shadows

"The problem is; that whatever you can teach any one of us will be instantly forgotten if it is not learned by Memory and those like her." Wisdom says. "And no, Bravery can't just lean and then hand it over, as those matches you see her do here are governed by her." Bravery coughs into her hand, pretending not to hear that part.

"So what would it take for you to learn it?" Bruce asks.

"Obviously I would need to merge into my combined self, since I otherwise have to be awake to enter this place." Wisdom shrugs. "And that's dangerous, to those outside if I sleep like that. Also I risk waking up tired."

"Because you are assembled?" Bruce speculates.

"Yes, we as emotions can do what we want when split like this. But together, my brain activity rises too much for sleep to have the effect needed." Wisdom continues.

"Which will make me a real bitch to be around in the morning." Rude adds.

"Sleep sounds good." Sloth says as she leans against a tree and sits down before dozing off.

"But if limited to say, an hour or so, it should be manageable." Wisdom continues. "Without my conscious self being aware of it." Bruce raises an eyebrow at this.

"You aren't aware of this?" He asks.

"Only on a subconscious level I am, like a dream I might remember this conversation taking place when I wake up. As you know, muscle memory is more like a reflex and that will stick, with practice. Even though I may wonder how I knew how to do it. I suspect Hemon and the others did it this way once, teaching me how to access the powers that doesn't come from Trigon." Rage snorts and spits on the ground at the mention. "We will need to talk amongst ourselves, just be careful around these woods."

"Your dreams seem to be relatively harmless to us." Bruce replies.

"Mine maybe, but your presence here is beginning to affect me on that level as well." Sloth blinks a few times as she gets up. "Dream is one of mine and she tells me she is experiencing some things she can't quite place."

"She is reading our dreams?" Bruce asks, inwardly noting this down as a point of concern.

"She thinks' they are yours, the trouble however is her sister." Sloth says. "If Nightmare is also doing it, you better be prepared to fight them if she ends up animating any of them."

"You mean we risk facing our own nightmares if we remain outside the council room?" Bruce surmises.

"Yes, I would ask you to return there, since this conversation will have stirred her, but you would stay anyway." Wisdom says. "Good luck if you meet one." She says as the emotions vanish, leaving Bruce alone in the forest.

"Clark, can you hear me?" Bruce asks into his communicator still in his cowl.

"_Loud and clear, what's wrong?" _Superman replies.

"Get the others together; we may not be as safe in here as we thought." Bruce says as he takes off, meeting the others halfway between the forest and Azerath.

"What's up?" Wally asks.

"Our presence here is beginning to affect Raven on a subconscious level; Sloth said that some of our thoughts and dreams are leaking into hers." Bruce replies.

"But we aren't dreaming." Shayera counters.

"You don't have to be." J'onn adds.

"So what's the problem with that?" Wally continues.

"Our nightmares are also leaking into her." Bruce continues, the others look surprised at this.

"That's bad." Wally surmises.

"Very, if we meet them." J'onn replies. "Nightmares are based on our fears…"

"Meaning you will be helpless to stop them." An almost serpentine voice cuts through, causing the group to look up in surprise right before something slams into J'onn and carries him down into the forest leaving a trail of fire behind it.

"What was that?!" Wally asks in surprise.

"A Burning Martian." John says. "Guardians told me about them when they heard about J'onn, he is going to need help." The others nod and flies after the pair.

Finding them is easy as the assailant is torching the forest around him, as J'onn stumbles through the trees to get away from him. The Burning is knocked back by a combined strike by Superman and Diana, sending it crashing through several trees.

"Ssooo, fooolissh." It hisses as it gets up, eying the group assembled in front of him.

Batman has a niggling sensation in the back of his head before instincts have him leap to the side as a clawed hand tear a hole in the ground he was standing on. The others are less fortunate. Flash is carried off by a yellow streak that strikes him in the back. Something huge and gray leaps into Superman and carries him off as well in another direction as Shayera is grabbed by the shoulders and carried off into the sky, Diana is ensnared by a rope and pulled into the forest. Finally something yellow rises out of the ground and punches John into the sky before following him.

"Now Batsy, let's dance!" Batman is dumbstruck by the thing that steps out of the shadows, it has Bane's enhanced size, Croc's clawed hands, a mask that resembles Crane's, that is constantly oozing a green gas and finally, it has Joker's voice along with the pasty-white skin. Batman snaps out of his state just time get out of the way of the claws aiming for his head.

"What is it you really fear Kal-El?" A deep gravelly voice asks as Superman brushes the dirt out of his eyes.

"CLARK!" Lois' voice has Superman bolt upright, to see his wife being held by the throat several centimeters off the ground, by a person he could have gone without seeing again. Standing with one hand behind his back and one holding Lois in a choke hold horizontally without strain, Darkseid stands motionless, while staring at Superman

"Put her down!" Superman orders as the red glow appears in his eyes.

"You cling to these worthless ants, and for what?" The tyrant of Apokolips asks in a flat tone. "To feel connected to them? When you should be ruling them?"

"I said, put her down!" Superman says again as his eyes glow brighter.

"As you wish." Darkseid shrugs as a hole opens beneath Lois as she is dropped with a shriek, Superman races after her, catching her just before she hits the ground. A dull bump is heard behind them. "As you know Kal-El, every choice you make has consequences." Darkseid says after he lands. The room lights up revealing three other figures down here forming a square around Superman and Lois.

"Who would have thought my greatest enemy would turn out to be a mild mannered reporter for the Daily Planet." Lex Luthor says from one corner, dressed in his normal black suit.

"An odd development indeed." Brainiac says in his mechanical voice.

"Perhaps we all strike at the armor, when the beating heart is right in front of us." Darkseid says.

"Then the female dies." Doomsday rumbles as the quartet advances.

"Come now Diana, I would not wish you to miss this." Diana opens her eyes to find herself in another setting than the dark forest. She is on a ship under a full moon, a dark island is visible ahead of her, as is the fleet of wooden ships sailing besides the one whose mast she is tied to.

"Heracles?!" Diana asks in surprise as the brute of a man steps into her field of vision, she struggles to get free but the rope and mast hold her tight. Diana looks down herself to see that is it her own lasso that holds her.

"Do not fret my dear; you have the best seat to the event." Heracles smirk at her. "After all, I need you to guide my fleet to Themyscira." Diana's eyes go wide at this and she redoubles her efforts to free herself, much to Heracles' amusement.

"You won't win!" She growls.

"Oh, but I already have my dear." Heracles replies smartly. "While your world remains the same as it was thousands of years ago, the world around you has changed, and now I bring it here." He says as a masked man wearing a set of night vision goggles appears and hands Heracles the rifle in his hands. "See, instead of bullets to end your lives, I bring, tranquilizers." He says as he pulls out the magazine to show Diana the syringe projectiles inside. "I wonder how your mother is doing after all these years?"

"You stay away from her!" Diana snaps.

"My dear, I already have your greatest warrior here, why should I stop now?" He smiles at her.

"My equal is waiting for you!" Diana growls.

"And she will fall like you." Heracles shrugs with indifference. "Perhaps she will join you and your mother in my quarters when this is done?" He continues before laughing.

"Hey I know you. You're me from that other universe." Wally says as he squares off against a yellow dressed version of himself.

"Nope chump. I'm here to teach you how to be better." The man replies in a voice Wally doesn't recognize.

"Oh yeah? And how are you going to do that?" Wally asks.

"Simple really, all the best heroes are fueled by great personal tragedies, but you have none to motivate you. So I am going to provide you with one. Perhaps the loss of Linda will make you take things more seriously?" The man says before blurring out of sight, Wally races after him a split second later.

"Linda's not in here!" Wally yells as he catches sight of the other Flash.

"No, but I am using Raven's mind to bridge into hers. Imagine what happens when her mind starts working at our level without the Speedforce!" The other one yells back.

Wally knows this is an illusion, but he can't take the chance that the threat proves real and pushes himself harder to catch up.

John comes crashing down inside Timid's labyrinth, colliding with a wall before coming to a rest on the ground. Groaning he picks himself up, coming face to face with the figure that attacked him; "Jordan?" The light from behind the man makes it difficult to see, but John is pretty sure it's Hal.

"Hmm maybe." The man replies in a voice John can't remember belonging to Jordan.

"Who are you?" John asks wishing for the umpteenth time he still had his ring.

"Well, somewhere in here I think there is or was a Hal Jordan." The man says as he steps forwards, letting his face show. John just stares at him, the upper part is still Jordan, but his eyes are completely black and his lower jaw spreads like that of some monster from an old alien movie John once watched, letting him see a long tongue and rows of pointed teeth. "But you can call me Parallax." The thing says before it leaps at John, bearing them both to the ground with a shriek.

While being stuffed in a coffin was the most usual nightmare she has, Shayera admits this one isn't new either, being tossed and battered around in the air by shades that look like those of her people. Right now she just wishes she had her mace to hit back with.

"Come now J'onn, you can't run from me in your condition." The Burning Martian says as it casually strides after J'onn how is crawling along on the ground to get away from it. "It's so sad to see you like this." It continues as it picks up pace, walking past J'onn to stand in his path, J'onn just slumps on the ground in the presence of the fiery being.

"I really was expecting something better from you; you are after all a child of mine." J'onn looks up at this with sweat pouring from his forehead. "But as the law of the jungle says; those too weak to live, must perish." It says as it sits down on J'onn's lower back before wrapping one arm around his throat. J'onn's world begins to spin.

"J'onn why are you scared of this?" Raven's voice cuts through to J'onn's mind.

"It… burns…" He manages. "Help…"

"You are a spirit J'onn, fire can't harm you here." Raven replies calmly. "You know this already, and it's not what you are really afraid of. Look at him." With great difficulty J'onn manages to shape shift into a stream of putty that race away from the Burning Martian before reforming, leaning against a tree. "Look at him J'onn, what is it you really fear about him?" Raven asks.

J'onn, still sweating, stares at the creature before him that seems content with being examined.

"It… it can't be!" J'onn says as he probes the open mind of the creature.

"But it is." The thing replies in an amused tone. "I am you, I am what hide's inside of you, waiting in the dark for the day you embrace the fire, I am Fernus!"

"I was told legends of a time when your kind existed on Mars, before White and Green Martian, warring, breeding, destroying all you came into contact with. I refuse to become anything like you!" J'onn growls as his eyes begin to glow a dangerous red.

Clark feels like he is done for, he can feel the three super powered villains beating on him, while Luthor is holding onto Lois while holding a piece of Kryptonite in his free hand. He refuses to hear their endless ranting, having stopped because he did not want to know what they would do to Lois when he is dead.

"_How did I get here?"_ He asks between a punch from Doomsday.

"You didn't." Raven's voice makes its way into his ears. "You are in my mind."

"Raven… help Lois." Superman pleads.

"Lois isn't here, neither is the Kryptonite, Luthor or the others." Raven replies calmly.

"So weak…" Superman sighs.

"Only because you think you are. This nightmare isn't about you falling to your enemies; this is about you failing to protect those you love from them."

"But…"

"No, show me why you are the inspiration all heroes follow, why you are Superman!" Raven says sternly and Superman suddenly comes to a realization.

"RAGH!" He shouts as he bolts up, throwing the three villains aside.

"Come on Walrus, at that rate you will never save her!" The yellow Flash taunts over his shoulder as the two races through the tunnel of compressed time and space, to Wally's horror a hole has appeared at the end of the tunnel, one showing a peacefully sleeping Linda. "I'm beginning to think you want her dead?"

"Stay away from her!" Wally yells as he tries to pick up speed, the other Flash calmly turns to run backwards putting his hands behind his head and puts on a confident smirk before looking at Wally more intently.

"You know, maybe you are too close." He says as he puts down his arms and begins whirling them around in front of him, creating two tornadoes that slam into Wally knocking him flat on the rocky path.

Wally picks himself up just in time to see the other Flash disappear in the distance, his heart drops into his stomach, he knows Linda is dead now; he can't possibly save her now.

"Not the real world remember." Raven says from above him.

"Raven?! Do something! Save her!" Wally orders at the empty sky above him.

"Only you can Flash, the fastest dead man." Raven replies in an almost amused tone. "You are still faster than him, now go get him." Wally just looks at the sky for a second in outrage at her refusal to help before he races off at a speed he didn't think he could do again, soon the yellow impostor comes into view ahead of him.

John is running scared, the thing calling itself Parallax had been distracted by something for a second during their tangle and John had taken the chance to get away, he needs a weapon or something to fight this thing. He can hear it following him from the grunts, slurps and whoops coming from behind him. A sudden impression in the labyrinth wall has John duck into it; a second later Parallax passes him. He can't shake the feeling he is doing exactly what Parallax wants him to. John almost jumps out of his hiding space as Raven's face appears in the stone before him

"You are." Raven says.

"What is that thing?!" John asks as he tries to remain quiet.

"I have only fragments of Gathet's memories of it, it seems to be a spirit parasite one that feeds on fear. I am not sure why it looks like Jordan." Raven replies.

"I'll have to ask them when we get out of here, but why am I seeing this, I've never met it?" He asks.

"I think Nightmare is mixing some of my memories into these things." Raven replies.

"Ok, so can you make me something to beat this thing with?"

"You already have it." Raven says as a smirk appears on her face. "Why did the ring choose you?"

"Because I can overcome great fear." John says surprised before he notices Raven's face has disappeared, nodding at the empty wall once, he steps out. "Hey ugly!"

Shayera has lost all sense of up and down as the shades keep tossing her around between them. She had tried taking swings at them, but she passed right through them, like this was fighting Shadow Thief and his brothers.

"A kingdom for my mace… ouf!" She says as one of the shades punch her in the belly.

"Even if you had a kingdom to give, you wouldn't need to make that trade." Raven's voice says from above.

"A little help?" Shayera asks.

"I am providing it; you are only getting battered because you are letting them."

As Raven finishes one of the shades strike Shayera's head. "Ow...they feel pretty solid to me."

"Means they will be solid when you want them to be, this is just a part of your mind that wants this. Try wanting to beat them. Focus." Raven says as one shade wraps his arms around Shayera spreading her arms wide.

"Ok!" Shayera growls as she focuses on the shade holding onto her as she reached up and throws it over her shoulders into the advancing shade. "Right, now it's payback time. HA!" She says as she quickly cracks her knuckles and charges the shades.

"Heracles, please don't do this." Diana pleads as they enter unseen into Themyscira's harbor.

"I have made promises to these men, and I aim to keep them, as I will all promises to men." Heracles replies while gazing over the sleeping city, while the first of his ships are unloading their cargo. "I wonder if the rest of your people still have the spunk they had all those years ago?"

"Diana, why are you allowing this to continue?" Raven's voice filters into Diana's mind.

"I… I can't stop it."

"Yes you can." Raven argues. "This isn't real, whatever you see it what you make it to be."

"And the lasso?" Diana argues.

"Still in the embassy as I recall."

Diana blinks a few times, she had thought this was real, everything looked solid to her. The realization however has her plant her feet firmly on the deck before she strains her legs, tearing the mast free of the deck with surprising ease. "THEMYSCIRA! AWAKEN!" She yells at the top of her voice. As if it was a signal for a well prepared ambush, Themyscira comes alive, torches blazing and warriors come streaming from every building. Amongst them, Diana can see her mother running at the front with certain red skinned Amazon by her side.

_Shortly afterwards:_

The Founders all emerge back in the forest clearing they were separated in, each carrying a trophy or something from their experiences. Bruce is sitting on his, evidently exhausted and wounded from his fight and J'onn is standing and staring at a pile of ash at the clearing's edge .

"He's too stubborn to realize he's not hurt." Raven says as she appears out of the woods, dressed in white.

"Is this show and tell?" Flash asks spotting the others are all carrying something.

"Guy called himself Parallax, some kind of fear parasite." John says as he throws the badly beaten body he is carrying onto the ground. "Fortunately I can still fight like a marine."

"Eww…" Wally says as Parallax's lower jaw parts. "Never got this guy's name, but he didn't have a face under this." He says while holding the top of the yellow Flash's costume in his hand. "Which was kinda freaky."

"Well, I just to tangle with a bunch of Shadow Thieves." Shayera shrugs as she drops the tangle of shadows on the ground she was carrying. "Is that a head?" She asks, spotting the thing Diana is carrying.

"A good dream of mine, Raven and I held onto him, my mother chopped it off." She says holding it up proudly.

"A dream version of me." Raven corrects as a few looks are thrown at her. "I only told her what she needed to hear, like the rest of you."

"Except Bruce." Flash ads.

"True." Raven shrugs. "Anyways, since I'm awake now because of some of you. I think we can do what Bruce suggested."

"We woke you?" John cuts in.

"Your collective emotions did. Bruce mentioned something I have also noticed; some of you are growing restless. I can't fault you for this. Bruce suggested you work out some of that energy training with me or yourselves while I sleep. We can do this for an hour or so each night before I end up getting affected by it."

"That's a good idea, or I would start going hunting for more of these." Shayera notes, feeling emboldened by the fist fight.

"You're kidding?" John asks.

"No?" Shayera gives him one of those looks where she tells him she considers it completely normal suggestion.

"So what is this Bruce?" Diana asks, nudging the huge body with her foot.

"A combination of Bane, Joker, Croc and Scarecrow." Bruce groans as he stands up, revealing his torn costume that's missing most of its midsection along with the three claw marks that's trailed over his midsection. "I'll be all right." He says noticing the worried look on Diana's face.

"You're not even hurt, you just think you are." Raven adds, but it seems to go unheard by him. "Or do you need proof?"

"I'll be fine." Bruce says as he straightens up, the others can see he is pained.

"No, you won't." Raven says harshly before she suddenly plants a solid kick on his shoulder that sends him flying over the monster's body, Batman reacts by instinct and rolls on the ground coming up in a crouch.

"Raven?! What are you…" Diana asks in surprise as Raven jumps over the body as well and lands into a series of kicks and punches against Bruce, they are all deflected but Bruce is pushed backwards.

"Has she's lost it." John says, yet they are all reluctant to intervene in the hope there was a reason for the aggression.

Raven is relentless in her assault, as each of her attacks is parried, she begins a new one. Eventually she catches him off guard and lands a heavy punch to his left rib that has him stagger to the side only to be caught on the back of the head by a heel. The force of the blow to his head literally has him somersaulting onto his back before a foot is placed firmly on his windpipe.

"I don't believe it." Shayera gasps neither do the others, having just born witness to Batman getting walked over.

"Normally I wouldn't be able to do this." She notes.

"You're stronger, and faster." He notes through clenched teeth.

"Do you really think that my being stronger or faster has anything to do with my muscles in this place?" Raven counters. "Do you think that is air you're breathing now?" She asks before removing her foot and walks away from him. Bruce gets up and seems to stare off into the distance for a second. "Again." Raven says as she gets into a ready position, which Bruce does as well after cracking his neck and back.

"Anyone got popcorn?" Flash asks as he sits down on a convenient rock as the two begin wordlessly circling each other, the others find similar seating's.

"Haven't they done something like this before?" John asks Diana.

"They have, two minutes with no powers or tools." Diana replies without turning to look at him. "Bruce came out on top back then."

The two open up the fight at a blistering pace, each trying, at first, to punch the other only to have both attacks blocked by their opponent, Bruce spins and dodges in an attempt to sweep Raven's legs away from under her which she counters by jumping over his leg. As Bruce stands up again he is met by three kicks from her, one aimed at the left side of his torso followed by two aimed at his head. The one aimed at his midsection hits home, getting a grunt from him while the two other kicks are blocked by his arm while he plants a palm squarely in Raven's chest sending her falling backwards onto her back.

She quickly rolls aside as Bruce leaps and tries to plant a knee and a fist on her. While rolling Raven curls up before spreading her legs spinning around herself once as she hands stands and bends over backwards to come up on her feet. The action has Bruce roll to the other side and stand up to begin a new series of kicks and punches that has Raven back away, dodging the last punch completely, leaving Bruce to strike a tree with a dull 'thud'. The two end up staring at each other again, with Bruce's back to the tree.

"You're stronger than this." Raven says without breaking eye contact. "HA!" Bruce narrowly dodges aside the sudden open palmed strike Raven aims at his midsection, leaving the tree to take it. Raven holds the stance at the strike that pulverizes the central part of the trunk, leaving the upper part to collapse on top of Raven, who catches it at the end before turning to face Bruce who looks surprised. "Catch." Raven says before hurling the tree directly at him, its speed leaves no time for him to dodge it.

The spectators are all about to shout something, outrage, a warning, something, but it is all caught in their throats as the log ceases all movement as it is caught by Bruce who holds onto it apparently effortlessly before dropping it on the ground.

"Let's keep the superpowers out of this one." Bruce says as he straightens up.

"Fair enough…ouf!" Raven manages before Bruce kicks the tree, sending it flying into her midsection, carrying her backwards into another tree, pinning her between the two.

"Never believe an actual opponent." Bruce says calmly as Raven is about to complain, she just stares at him, gauging that remark for a second before disappearing.

"Think those two would work well in a movie or something." Flash adds as Raven reappears behind Bruce trying to deliver a chop to the back of his neck, which is blocked by a raised arm before she disappears again without having fully emerged.

"I think I have seen something like this once." John adds as Ravens leg emerges and slams into Bruce's midsection.

The two continue without pause for the next hour or so, each having their ups and downs and a few trees getting toppled along the way before they finally pull apart panting, having forgotten they don't actually need to breathe.

"That was…" Raven starts.

"A good round." Bruce says before bowing to her, an action which she echoes.

"I need to go rest, you can inform the others." Raven says as she gives the others a tired smile before fading from view.

"Tell us what?" Shayera asks as they get up, personally both she and Diana is both slightly envious about not having a go.

"How this will work." Batman says as he brings his breathing under control before giving the rest of them an almost wicked smirk.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **So now they have something to entertain themselves with. Next, a few plan are laid and a few problems arise.


	18. Morning Plans

"Morning Rae." Cyborg greets as he walks in, carrying a tray with breakfast on it.

"Cyborg." Raven yawns from her chair, having grown used to sleeping in it rather than dealing with the hassle of getting in and out of it needlessly.

"You look terrible." He notes as he puts the tray down on her chair.

"Injuries taken in my other shape make themselves felt when I change, don't worry I'll mend." She waves off while noticing the cup of herbal tea.

"Guess they don't mend in the other shape?" He says as he sits himself down on the bed next to the still sleeping Cerberus.

"Don't know really." Raven says before she takes a sip of the tea. "Not that I want to stay in that other shape long enough to find out."

"I can understand that. So I hear you have been told not to try and mend yourself?"

"I have to stay in here if I try. The concussion will make even low key magic risky if I get a sudden jolt or bump. So for now I just settle with doing it in my sleep, will only speed things up slightly." Raven explains. "So how is everyone else?"

"Well word from the Doom Patrol is silent; most people are worried about you though. Even them." He says while throwing a thumb at the window. "Oh and some guy called Harold Turner wants to talk to you at some point."

"Oh, I thought he would have forgotten all about me by now?" Raven looks up from the bread she was about to bite down on.

"Doubt it; think you made his career somehow." Cyborg shrugs as he unconsciously begins to pat Cerberus.

"Huh, didn't think it would be that good." Raven says, a little dumbfounded at this.

"Guess it was, oh and old Mario hope's you will be back, free pizza for scaring off that group of punks." Cyborg says while giving her a smirk that in the old days would have compelled her to go.

"They deserved it." Raven shrugs with a smirk. "So what about you? Seems all you do it worry about me."

"You gave me permission." Cyborg says with a smirk as well. "But I sent in my exam papers while you were stuck in Tartarus. But for the moment, I get to help out here on the satellite; you won't believe the stuff they have cooking up here."

"So you are happy, being back 'superheroing'?" Raven asks.

"Well for the time being I am back in the groove, but I still don't want to do this forever." He replies. "You?"

"What else can I do?" Raven shrugs. "I don't want to hide, and there are too many people who would want to get to me if I settle down amongst regular people. Besides, the education I have from Azerath probably won't mean anything here."

"I'm sure we could work something up if you decided to come down and try living amongst the rest of us." Cyborg says giving her a smile. "Besides, there is a society on that island of yours, not that I want you to stay over there." He adds the last part quickly as if she would suddenly get up and walk out the door and leave for Themyscira.

"Well, Queen Hippolyta was close to beheading me last time I was there so let's see how that turns out first." Raven sighs.

"Really?" Cyborg asks a little alarmed. "She thought you…"

"Basically." Raven cuts him off. "Not that I can blame her."

"Guess not." Victor shrugs as the automatic door opens a man in a black cape with pointed ears, backs in carrying a tray almost identical to the one Victor came in with; the man almost seems jovial till he sees the percent tray. "Erm… morning… I think I better go now, cya Rae." Cyborg says as he gets off the bed and squeezes his way past Batman and out the door.

"And here I thought I was the original one." Richard sighs downhearted.

"Thank you." Raven replies. "We could just share it." She suggests while shifting her tray to make room for his on her chair. He instantly appears happier and puts it down next to the other while sitting down on the bed. "So what's the occasion?"

"An apology, I shouldn't have gotten angry with you. I think I am getting lost in the act." He sighs while picking up a piece of buttered white bread.

"If you intend to eat breakfast with the cowl on, I think you will." Raven mentions, before taking a bite herself, he gives her a look before pulling the cowl back over his head. "You look terrible." She notes at the bags under his eyes.

"I'm not sleeping enough." He admits while rubbing his eyes. "Never thought Gotham could be so big without him."

Raven knows Bruce is listening, as always. "It's not, unless crime is on a rapid rise?" She replies.

"It is actually on the rise, has been ever since a month before we met. Getting Roman put a damper on it, but its rising again. I don't know how Bruce managed it alone." He sighs as he takes a bite of his bread.

"_Organizing and keeping with priorities."_ Bruce mentions from the inside.

"I think we are back in the Tower." Raven says, getting a questioning look from him telling her to elaborate. "Like back then, you are trying to prove you are as good as him, if not better. And like back then, I fear you will end up working yourself to death."

"I think you are about to hit me with my obsession over a one-eyed man in a mask." Richard replies.

"Well, you did spend countless hours locked in your room with his case." Raven finds it polite not to point out the hours were largely wasted. "And it's not like you are alone in defending Gotham."

"I know, I just try to do it his way so it doesn't seem suspicious. And I feel like it's a defeat to ask for help when Bruce never does."

"_I do when it's needed. I'm just good at hiding it."_

"I think you need to focus your efforts, if I may. Try as you might, you can't save Gotham alone, I doubt anyone can, focus on where your help is needed most." He nods at the suggestion, having heard it from both Barbara, Tim and Alfred already.

"And then there's the company." He groans making Raven realize he has a list of things that's getting to him. "I swear most of those Board of Directors members look at me like I have two heads or something."

"I guess you haven't brought up LexCorp yet?" She asks.

"No, I can't bring that up, not alone. I'm still too new a face to them and something like this… it's complicated. I tried bringing it up, casually, with Lucius Fox but he just waved it off as too dangerous for me."

"Dangerous?" Raven raises an eyebrow at this.

"Like Bruce, I actually have an image outside of costume. And it's apparently something the company rolls its eyes at." He says while covering his eyes with his hands as he leans back on the bed, it doesn't take an empath to tell he's somewhat embarrassed at the admission.

"_Dick Grayson, Gotham's most eligible heir, playboy and public disgrace."_ Superman mentions. _"Takes after Bruce to a worrying degree with it comes to leisure time and work."_

"Try working with them, or just hit them with the numbers." Raven sighs.

"Will do."

"_Where have they put me for the time being?" _Bruce asks from the inside.

"Where is Bruce?" Raven asks, getting a questioning look from Richard for a second.

"Bahamas, enjoying the sun, doesn't want to be disturbed." He replies after understanding what she meant.

"_Can I talk directly?" _Bruce asks waiting a second; he knows Raven is forcibly clamping down on them all after the meetings with the Kent's, Hippolyta and the barbeque in Wally's back yard. "Depending on how long LexCorp can keep their problems out of the media, I can see a solution to this." He continues, waking both Cerberus and startling Richard. "There is one problem with it." He says.

"Which is?" Richard asks, still thinking it to be really weird hearing Bruce's voice come out of Raven's mouth, to his worry, as he looks her face actually slowly appears to be changing shape, as if Raven was unconsciously trying to look like the person that's speaking.

"Raven's condition." Bruce replies, getting a few blinks out of Raven.

"What do I have to do with this?" She asks sharply, getting the feeling Bruce is enjoying this, while her own features return.

"While enjoying myself in the Bahamas, I met a young woman who slipped me a very interesting set of documents. Now with me being me, I just had her give me the short version. The offer proved interesting enough for me to prompt her to contact my ward, who in turn asked her to present the material to the board." Somewhere along Bruce Waynes casual explanation, Raven's record slips off the track.

"Hold up, you want me to present material that takes years to learn in business school to the men running your company?!" She asks.

Richard just looks stupefied at the idea, for one; the thoughts of what was reported to happen between Bruce Wayne and the women while Raven being involved. The second; the idea that the usually withdrawn and stage frightened Raven should walk in and give a presentation to anyone, let alone on a subject she doesn't know much about.

"Bruce, are you sure that's such a good idea? I mean I don't know how much Rae knows about economics to begin with, no offense." Richard asks as he sends her a nod. "But stuff like this would require her to know the details about LexCorp's problems. Not to mention she has to be able to give a plausible reason for having these papers in the first place."

"She kept the Tower running, didn't she?" Bruce counters.

"I… that was mostly set up with the bank by Richard." Raven argues. "Wasn't it?" She asks looking a little lost. Richard just holds up his hands in front of him.

"I didn't." He says. "Rae, how exactly did you manage?" He asks.

"I… I took inventory of the entire Tower once a month, added any repairs or additions I needed, subtracted anything I had stopped using, checked water and power usage." She admits. "Didn't you do that?" She asks.

"I… only once every three months." Richard admits.

"Then why were you always running around with a checklist at the end of the month?" Raven asks.

"I… I was checking up on the security system I set up on my own." He sighs knowing he had been cornered. "I set it up in case someone got hold of the official blueprints and the system Cyborg set up. None of it went into your rooms, I swear!" He exclaims noticing an almost visible red glow appear in Raven's eyes.

"_Sounds like someone we know."_ John adds.

"And after you left?" Raven asks, wondering if he had been spying on her for three years.

"When I left Jump, I had them short circuit by remote control in case someone else hijacked it." He sighs.

"_Something tells me we need to search the satellite." _Shayera mentions.

"_No, it's a precaution if someone goes rogue and seizes the Watchtower security systems."_ Superman says.

"Good." Raven says firmly though she wasn't entirely comfortable with the questions forming in her head. "What kind were they?"

"Only motion sensors and camera's in the main passageways, I only checked on them if I suspected anything was wrong."

"Back on topic, I think Raven should present the material. It seems more plausible if she comes in person." Bruce cuts in. "You can always say I told her to." Raven sighs.

"He's getting back at me, I know it." She says, getting the feeling Bruce wasn't going to appear in person for this.

"What?"

"Bruce and I have had a few arguments." Raven sighs.

"He isn't constantly berating you for everything you do? Is he?" Richard asks, wondering if Raven would tolerate something like that in a longer run.

"No, it's me picking fights with him." Raven admits. "For his own good." She adds quickly as he raises an eyebrow. "And no, I am not going to elaborate."

"He was having doubts if he had the right to come back or not? Didn't he?" Richard asks while fixing her with his own stare, telling her he knew Bruce's mindset better than her.

"He thought he was wounded, I disagreed." She replies, while he was spot on, Richard didn't need to know what Bruce had said and done, besides Bruce appeared to have left it for now.

"She kicked the crap out of him." Shayera says, getting Raven to clamp her mouth shut.

"Rae?!" Richard complains as if he was a child getting cheated.

"Ok." Raven sighs while grabbing the opportunity to divert the conversation in a more harmless direction. "Their dreams and conversations are beginning to leak into me; some of my emotions are having a hard time telling mine from theirs. Tonight the others were assaulted by a group of their own nightmares, Bruce thought he was wounded by his and I had to convince him otherwise."

"By making it worse?"

"Can't hurt a soul Richard, not by punching it, not even with another soul." Raven shrugs. "Besides, it was his idea to curb their emotions by training with them."

"And how long are you doing this?" Richard asks.

"An hour after I fall asleep, won't affect my sleep that way. Anyways, I think I better go see if anyone needs the company at the monitor. Thank you for the breakfast."

"No problem Rae." Richard says with a tired smile as she moves the chair to the door and Cerberus jumps off the bed to follow her.

"Get some rest Richard, you need it." She continues before disappearing out the door, leaving the man to collapse onto her bed.

_Tower of Fate, Salem;_

"Hmm, this is not a dragon's claw." Jason notes at the hook shaped piece of bone Fate had found.

"I know, it's a griffon's. I was certain I had one." Fate says to himself while browsing the book shelf lined with jars and pots with all sorts of mystic ingredients, one of many that line the huge room, as Zatanna appears in a puff of pink-purple smoke. "Any luck at Curio's?" He asks as he looks up.

"No, Sid sold the last claw a week ago and he hasn't had any hair for months." She replies, having been sent out since Fate had a suspicion he wouldn't find the missing claw when it wasn't where he thought it was.

"Hmm, I will go ask if we can get a fresh claw." Jason says as he puts the griffon claw down. "Raven mentioned a dragon corpse having come into the possession of Tala, perhaps she can be persuaded to part with it." He continues before leaving the two.

"Leaving us with finding the hair from an ageless mortal, is that even possible?" Zatanna sighs.

"There are a number of obscure and difficult spells and natural phenomena that prolongs a normal lifespan greatly that would suffice." Fate says without turning from the rack. "Problem is that one needs to repeat the ordeal again when age again begins to take its toll if one wishes to endure."

"Hmm, that reminds me of someone I've heard about, but I don't know where." She says as she puts a hand under her chin and thinks for a few moments about various people. "I think I might know of one, but he is not going to part with any." She says suddenly.

"Who?" Fate asks as he turns from the rack after putting a pot containing several bony spines back on the shelf.

"One of Batman's headaches, a man called Ra's al Ghul. I'll go confirm it. annataZ ot eht rewothctaW!" She says before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

She appears again on the floor of the Watchtower arrival hall, startling a few of the workers.

"Zatanna, as you are not a member of the League, I will have to ask you to vacate the station." Captain Atom says from the monitor womb after spotting her.

"I need to speak to Raven." Zatanna replies as the woman in question hovers into view besides the main console as a glowing green screen fades from view before her.

"Up here Zatanna, what's wrong?" Raven asks as Zatanna climbs up to them.

"We are having some problems with the hair, but I think we know where we can get it." She says. "I need to know more about Ra's al Ghul, how old he is and how he stays alive."

"According to himself and several sources, he's lived for centuries due to the effects of the Lazarus Pits, naturally occurring pools of chemicals." Bruce explains the most basic part of his knowledge about the man. "He is one that must not find out that I am gone."

"Why is that?" Atom asks.

"He is an eco-terrorist with plans that spans the globe. But he has a grudging respect for me and holds a number of his plans, especially those targeting Gotham, on standby because he hopes to sway me to his side. Also he is the master of the League of Assassins an order with countless lives on its consciousness." Bruce replies.

"And I guess he can tell you from Nightwing?" Raven asks.

"Yes." Bruce replies flatly.

"How about if Raven lets you go?" Zatanna asks.

"Ra's isn't stupid, he will suspect something amiss merely if I appear at his hideaway even more so if I ask for some of his hair." Bruce replies.

"Can we locate him and storm the place?" Atom asks.

"No, Ra's will have fail-safe's in case he is threatened, one's that will most likely involve biological weapons." Bruce sighs.

"So how do we get to him? If he fits the bill, that is?" Raven continues.

"First he will need to be found, Nightwing will have a list of likely locations in the cave. To approach him, you will need a small team to survive the welcome wagon and to appear relatively non-threatening, perhaps then he will speak to you." Bruce explains. "Proving we have to."

"So he tries to kill you before wanting to talk to you?" Zatanna asks.

"40 or so members of his League seems to be the usual amount of men he has around him, if he is in a bad mood there his bodyguard, Ubu, as well."

"So how does a small team survive an attack like that and still appear non-threatening?" Zatanna continues, feeling a headache creeping up on her.

"Simple, you fight hand to hand and impress him." Bruce replies.

"Seems a team needs to be organized." Atom says. "I suggest Ms. Troy."

"Too obvious, he would be threatened if Wonder Woman shows up, since she could take them all on her own." Zatanna says, having seen Donna on TV posing as Diana.

"And she doesn't pull punches." Bruce continues. "Donna angers easily."

"_She does." _Diana mentions.

"That shortens the list considerably." Atom sighs.

"Leaves, Katana and Nightwing and perhaps two or three outside the League." Raven adds figuring it needed to be a human only group.

"And you." Atom adds. "You're supposed to be pretty nifty with the martial arts."

"And I can do a lot of things that would set Ra's off if I came within twenty miles of him." Raven replies.

"You can show restraint?" Zatanna suggests.

"It's a risk, if he knows Bruce as well as he thinks, he could very well realize that Bruce is missing." Raven counters.

"Possibly, or perhaps my presence here is what will get you to talk with him." Bruce mentions.

"I think he wants you there." Atom mentions.

"Better just roll with it, or he will get grumpy." Zatanna mentions with a slight smirk, Raven just groans in reply.

"Fine, but I think I will need a vacation when all this is done." She sighs, getting a smirk out of Atom. "So what about the other ingredients?"

"Jason is asking Tala about the claw. We haven't tried contacting Constantine yet, but rumor has it Lucifer is somewhere in the southern states." Zatanna replies as Cerberus begins sniffing her shoe. "Is that yours?"

"Yes…"A sour expression crosses Ravens face as a smell races up to her nose. "Oh phew… Cerberus, go do it in here." She says while opening a portal that swallows the dog while she waves the air away from her.

"Charming." Zatanna notes. "There's something about it."

"It's the mythological Cerberus. Found him in Tartarus, turns out he is one of my father's demons." Raven shrugs. "Got stuck down there when his previous owner tried storming Olympus."

"Uh-Hu so you keep a Hellhound as a pet?" Zatanna notes before something strikes her. "What where you doing in Tartarus?"

"Got trapped down there." Raven sighs. "The memories from there were the memories I didn't want you to have."

"I don't think she knows." Atom mentions.

"Know what?" Zatanna asks a little confused.

"Only that Raven got initiated during her stay on Themyscira." Atom says offhandedly while turning to a blinking light on the console.

"Initiated… you what?!" Raven just gives her a weak smirk.

"Amazon. Got stuck in Tartarus when I had to lock myself in when some kind of giant tried to get out. Got caught by the locals and accused of being part of a rebellion, ended up staying for two weeks it turns out before the others got me out, picked up Cerberus on the way out." Raven explains; Zatanna just looks dumbstruck.

"You keep surprising, you know that?" She says.

"I guess." Raven shrugs.

"And I'm lucky you didn't punch my head off." Zatanna notes with some dissatisfaction.

"I wasn't about to see if you could just kill me with two words." Raven notes.

"Bruce said the same thing when someone else did that to me, unfortunately I could feel it back then." Zatanna says as Raven opens a portal to let Cerberus out. "Isn't he supposed to have three heads?"

"He does, but like me, he can change shape if I ask him to." Raven says while looking at the dog that woofs once and changes. "He takes up most of a road if he's in his actual size; it was actually because of him the League could track us to Jump City."

"He followed you?" Zatanna asks. "I thought you all tracked Wonder Woman there?"

"No, I was caught with her and the facility was otherwise shielded, I am not entirely sure how he tracked me. Luthor thought I was a normal Amazon."

"Didn't Tala or Circe tell him otherwise?" Zatanna asks, knowing that the pair would have known what Raven was just by looking at her, but that one could never be sure if they had motives to not say anything.

"Tala had a bad feeling around me, but Luthor waved her off with a note that she was just worried that he would kill her, again, apparently."

"Heard he did that when he tried to put Brainiac back together by mystical means, Tala, I think, changed the target and brought back Darkseid instead. Maybe she wanted to spoil Luthor's plans again?" Zatanna says getting a nod from Raven as she thinks it over. To her knowledge demons in general rarely if ever forgave treachery, if they had to spend decades waiting to repay it, they would. And the ones like Tala could be extremely subtle about getting even. "Anyways, I think I better get going before the Captain here decides to throw me out the airlock." Zatanna continues as she gives the army man a smirk.

"I didn't see you." The Captain says without turning to face her.

"Take care of them Raven, and get well. annataZ ot rewoT fo etaF." Zatanna says before she disappears again.

"_A few years ago, Captain Atom would have not even have let her have this talk."_ Diana mentions.

"_Neither would I." _J'onn continues.

Raven later returns to her room to find an envelope on her bed; an invitation to a memorial to the lost Titans, scheduled to take place on the Watchtower a two weeks from now. Along with the envelope, there is a brown file Raven take's a single look at before hurling it into the trash bin; it was Terra's psychological evaluation. She tells the others that she does not want to have anything to excuse Terra's actions, Raven wants a monster and she will have it.

The weeks pass slowly for her, with monitor duty during her waking hours and an hour of different kinds of training with the Founders during the night. Superman went ahead and fought her the way he could, Diana and Shayera instructed in armed combat. Wally raced her in her other shape. John taught her a few boxing moves and a few things about concentration under fire and lastly with J'onn she practiced shapeshifting. During this time, she noted Bruce had taken up drilling the others in various subjects, even arranging field trips into the emotional realms. Covert missions into Rage's realm, where Rage pretends not to notice them being in her realm and sparring matches against Bravery, which always ended with the emotions victory. What he did not expect was to encounter the representations of himself and Diana inside Happy's realm, much to the amusement of the others, Diana had been just as amused and commented on how it didn't look too bad.

Raven hardly hears anything from the mystics; only that they were progressing. This annoyed her to a degree, since she is supposed to play a key part in the ritual but is currently being sidelined. The Titans however were mostly preoccupied with making ready for the memorial and continuing with their lives. Starfire and Beastboy were another matter, as Raven learned; Starfire had become the talk of the Jump City since her return and was often down there to talk about herself, often accompanied by Beastboy. Since he brought her breakfast, she hardly hears a word from Richard, but she did hear rumors that he and Palmer is working on something along with Cyborg.

One by one, the deceased Titans were picked up by relatives, each thanking the other Titans for finding those who had been missing for months and for catching the culprit. With Raven on almost a permanent monitor duty, she was the one that got to handle them all, often followed by a session of meditation because of the emotional turmoil the meetings left her in.

Despite Mid-Night's warnings and eventual heavy protests when he found out, Raven kept her healing powers running at a very low key. The two ended up in an argument where Pieter threatened to cut the power to her chair, Raven had countered that she would then be forced to levitate herself around the station. Much to his relief however, her head was sufficiently healed for him to discharge her from his care during the morning on the day before the memorial. Raven spent the rest of that day powering up her healing so she could be completely healed in time for the memorial.


	19. Remembering the Fallen

_The Watchtower:_

"All healed up I see?" Nightwing says as he appears in the doorway of the room, in his own costume and with a bag by his side.

"Yeah, stupid concussion passed yesterday." Raven replies as she sits on the edge of the bed as one of doctors is helping getting the casts and bandages off her. "How long do we have?"

"The others are arriving, I bought you this." He says, handing over the bag to her, which she looks into.

"Thank you, but why two?" She asks noticing two cloaks in the bag along with her boots and bracelets as the doctor finishes. "Thank you." She nods at him, as he nods in return and leaves with the remains.

"I didn't know if you wanted the blue or black." He replies. Raven had left the items in Alfred's care before departing for Oolong and she had kept her leotard hidden under the clothes provided.

"Black for the occasion." Raven says as she puts on the cloak and flips up the hood before getting her boots and bracelets on. "Felt strange without them." She notes on the pieces of metal.

"You don't need me to say I still think it's strange you have them?" He asks.

"Like Diana said, it's nice one can still surprise." She says before walking past him and out the door, swiftly followed by him. "You are going to speak?"

"Of course, spent the most of yesterday figuring out what I should say."

"What about the other days?" Raven asks as he walks up beside her.

"Working on something, I'll tell you about it when it's done."

"Thought I've been stuck with monitor duty for a week, I feel like I'm being deliberately kept out of the loop." Raven sighs.

"Only because you tend to come running, with two broken legs if you have to." Richard replies with a smirk.

"Are you calling me stubborn?" Raven asks as they come closer to a pair of double doors leading into the training hall, which had been chosen as the site of the gathering.

"Would you prefer compulsive?" Richard continues.

"Maybe." Raven replies with a smirk as she opens the door, to a mild surprise for her.

The room is full of people, and many of them are too old to be Titans, Raven and Richard knows they are Leaguers. Raven is surprised that they are even here. In one corner, past the rows of seats, stand Cyborg, Beastboy and Starfire. The boys look grim in their black suits, Starfire looks depressed in the black dress she is wearing along with the small veil attached to the small black hat.

Next to them is the remains of the Titans East, all also wearing black, like Starfire, Bumblebee seems the most downhearted of the group. The rest of the room is scattered with similar small groups of two or three. In front of the seats is a simple wooden podium with a row of large pictures of the deceased standing behind it.

"Speedy spread the word about it; it's been an unspoken agreement within the League that in case someone is lost you come to the service if not needed elsewhere." Richard says as Raven scans the room.

"_Kara must have brought him."_ Clark notes as the spot the big teen in the black T-shirt standing in front of the blonde seated on the front row, Raven can see he is firmly staring at the two oldest Titan groups, between them, Raven notices a group of women crowding around a wheelchair bound redhead.

"And Oracle got wind of it." Richard notes as they have an unspoken moment, where they look at each other before Raven heads over to the Birds and Richard for the Titans.

"I see you back and kicking." Barbara notes.

"Still a little sore." Raven admits. "So what brings you up here?"

"We knew Nemesis, worked with him a few times." Dinah says. "League decided to merge the two memorials."

"By the way, you should have taken Croc's head instead of his arm." Helena growls, getting a frosty stare from Barbara.

"Camera recordings were also on the data you sent." She says. "Nemesis often operated in deep cover, but Croc has an amazing nose and ambushed him." She sighs, Raven nods at this.

"I'd like to mention I am now even happier you didn't hit us." Spencer adds.

"Hmm, thought I disabled the camera's." Raven says. "What did you see?"

"The part where you practically punched Zee's jaw off and onwards, including the scuffle you had with Supes." Zinda says. "How is she doing?"

"Jaw has healed just fine, but I am assuming you don't know?" She gets a few questioning looks from the others. "Then I can't tell you the full story, I'm sorry."

"Must be bad." Zinda notes.

"It is." Raven sighs as a group of people enter the hall, Fate, Jason, Inza, Amazo and Zatanna. "Don't push her about it, she is fragile." Raven says, getting a few nods from the Birds before she heads over to the Titans.

"Hey Rae, how are you holding up?" Cyborg asks quietly as she joins them.

"I'm fine." Raven says, thought she had noticed Grief had grown slightly and that she was deliberately not looking at the pictures. "How about you?"

"We're ok." Beastboy replies quietly thought he also looks more downhearted than the other two men.

"Well, it's 11:00 in Gotham, better get started." Nightwing says before walking up to the podium and taps the small microphone once, testing it and drawing the room's attention. Everyone quietly filters into their seats.

Titans West takes up seats on the second row behind Titans East, who were the closest to the Guatemalan twins. While Red Star takes up the last seat next to them.

"Him, Pantha and Wildebeest got close." Cyborg whispers to Raven.

"Hello and thank you all for…" Nightwing starts before the door opens in the back and two people rush in, followed by one walking in his own pace. Jinx and Kid Flash manage to look suitably embarrassed and quickly find their seats at the back. Aquaman remains expressionless, clearly in good time in his own opinion, and calmly walks to find himself a seat.

"Hello and thank you all for coming today for this memorial." Nightwing begins again. "For those of you that don't know me, I was once Robin, the Boy Wonder. I once moved out of Gotham to strike out on my own, there I met four other extraordinary people, people I would come to call friends. Together we would form what became known as Titans West, during our time together we encountered similar young people like ourselves. These people…" He says as he detaches the microphone from its holder and walks to the first picture, displaying the pink haired girl sitting on the caveman's shoulders, both smiling. "Like Kole and the caveman Gnaark, who we met during a mission in the Arctic's lived in a primordial world beneath the ice and snow." He says before moving to the next.

"Hotspot, who Cyborg, Beastboy and I met initially along with Speedy, Aqualad and Wildebeest." He says at the dark-skinned boy giving the photographer a thumb up with his right hand. "Wildebeest spent most of his time in the wilds because of his appearance, till Pantha took him in." The picture of the two is split diagonally, one showing the grown Wilderbeest hugging a squirming Pantha, the other showing Pantha giving a small boy a piggy-bag ride, the boy is Wilderbeest in human form.

"Mâs and Menos, brothers gifted with incredible speed." Bumblebee sobs loudly at the mention of the twins, each giving the audience a toothy grin. "Argent, defender of the British Isle's." Like Hotspot, Argent is giving the thumbs up sign along with a smile.

"And Melvin, Timmy, Teether and Bobby, who I assigned, Raven to watch out for when the threat of the Brotherhood of Evil loomed." Raven lowers her gaze to the ground and sinks deeper into her hood at the mention. "While we may not have spent an equal amount of time with them all, we all knew them to be good people, true friends, true Titans." Raven thinks it is inappropriate that he says that, Richard seems to realize that as well.

"I'm sorry, that was inappropriate. It is true, the ones who hurt us the most, are the ones closest to us. And this unfortunately proves it. The monster, who dealt the greatest blow to the Titans, was not a monster from the deepest pits or wore the face of evil when we met it at first. No, we invited it inside believing it to be a friend only to have it stab us in the back. I… I won't spoil this anymore, please remember our friends as they were, they are in a better place now… thank you." Nightwing says as he fumbles with the microphone holder for a second before taking the last vacant seat on the Titan's West row, next to Raven, the fumbling was a sign how much it was affecting him.

"You shouldn't have mentioned that." Raven whispers.

"I know, this… was what I wanted to say." Richard replies while looking at the ground as he pulls out a small note from a compartment on his arm before handing it to Raven, who unfolds it as Barbara rolls up to the podium after a round of muttering amongst the audience. "I might as well not have bothered writing that." He sighs quietly as Raven reads the note.

"You couldn't remember it?" Raven whispers.

"No." Nightwing admits, he hadn't experienced anything like this since an exam in school after his parents died.

"Thank you Nightwing." Barbara says as she rolls over to the last picture, one of a blond man with blue eyes and a confident smirk on his face. "Thomas Andrew Tresser, was not a man of many words or of many friends due to his job. A job he too very serious, as one must when going deep under cover, as he often was. I had the privilege of working with him on numerous occasions and found him to be a very able bodied agent in the field, but also a kind man when the job was over. Me and those who got to know him, mourn his passing while knowing he passed away the way he wanted to, on the job, thank you." Barbara says before wiping something out of her eye, as a woman in a black sparkling suit takes the microphone from her.

Donna looks surprised as she turns around with the microphone as Barbara rolls away. "I… Er… I can't really claim I knew any of them, only that they were members of honored organizations. But that alone tells me they will be missed as comrades in arms and as friends. And I hope that they would wish you all continue in your efforts to make the world a better place, even if they are no longer a part of it, thank you." She says as she deposits the microphone and sits down hurriedly.

"_Raven, can I speak?"_ Superman asks.

"_Hold on." _Raven says as she takes a second to clear her thoughts before she changes shape to that of the Man of Steel, who gets up from her seat to the gasps from a few.

"Hello, I will admit it is a bit strange to be standing here today, like this. But as most of you know, I and the others have been stuck in here for a good while now. When we heard about this memorial coming up, I decided to get to know some more about the Titans. And from Raven's memories, I can tell you, they were great people, really they were. The twin's were pranksters, and with their powers they were often the real culprits when Speedy and Aqualad ended up arguing about hair and fish." Superman gets a few chuckles from this.

"Pantha was a proud woman, even prouder when she was inducted and a happy one when she took in Wilderbeest who loved her like a mother. Hotspot was a bit of a hothead, but he had a soft spot for cute animals."He gets a few more chuckles for this, mainly from the Titans who were there to see it.

"Raven felt an almost kindred spirit with Kole, who hid beneath the ice cap to get away from people who would abuse the power she had. Gnaark was afraid for a moment that the Titans would take Kole away from him after he lost an eating contest with Cyborg." A few more chuckles, especially from Cyborg.

"Argent was a good girl, while she had her share of concerns due to her dual heritage, she choose to remain with what she knew, and that was to be human." He halts for a second, knowing the last mention will be the hardest for his host.

"The Kid's, as they would come to be called by the rest of the Titans, were exceptional. Unlike most, their powers manifested at an extremely early age, which caused them to be moved into the custody of a society of monks one by one. There they grew up happily with the monks, till the Brotherhood found out about them and Raven was assigned to escort them to safety." To the surprise of most, Superman's image runs like wax for a second before it reforms, to the Titans it tells how hard Raven is taking it.

"Which she did successfully." Superman continues as if nothing had happened. "Now, the Titans will know how much Raven tries to remain unfeeling because of her powers, but she did feel a lot when around the Kid's, that alone will tell them how much they meant." His shape blurs again.

"If you would all please stand." He continues as everyone does. "What we do when we dress up like this and put ourselves in harm's way, carries the risk dire consequences, we all know this somewhere, and we would be foolish not to think so. But all of us who would risk our lives for a complete stranger, we are heroes to them, as were those who have been lost to us now, please remember them as such, thank you." He says as he lowers the microphone, while he does this he gradually seems to finally melt away leaving the black cloaked Raven behind. She drops the microphone on the ground before she disappears without another word.

Richard bolts out of his seat and out the door before anyone can react, perhaps it is because of the bond, maybe it is because he caught a short glimpse of her eyes under the hood, but he had a feeling that she might do something she would regret.

Back in the room, Cyborg stands up and claps his palms together to get everyone's attention. "Ok, thank you all for coming here today, for those that need, there are refreshments in the cafeteria." He says, the assembly gets up quietly and slowly heads out the door, with a few hugs and greetings being shared between a few.

Richard had been relieved that there was a prisoner in the cell he stormed past, which had left the question of, where had Raven gone? He asks himself this question as he runs into the medical ward of the station to the sound of a crash from somewhere, slowing down at the sight of Mid-Night he walks to the room Raven was treated in, finding the window blocked by a black mass. While he hears the second crash coming from within, he calmly walks to the door and let himself inside.

The room is a mess, but the wards on the walls are holding, most of the lower part of the bed appears to have been melted, causing it to lean unevenly. There's bits of paper and stuffing flying everywhere, the former contents of the bent and punctured waste basket that gets rebounded against the wall as he watches.

The cause of all this is lying on her belly crying her heart out into the remains of the pillow, it moves Richard because events like this one is so rare and at the same time one he didn't want to see. Unheeding of the black lighting coursing over and off her, he walks over to crouch beside her, getting her attention with a hand on her shoulder.

"You… you shouldn't be here." Raven sobs.

"Yes, I should." Richard counters calmly.

"You'll get hurt." Raven continues.

"No, I won't." He says. "It's ok." He continues as he can tell she is trying to battle her emotions back into place.

"I should have been there…" Raven sighs while grabbing the pillow, she tries to turn around to toss it at the door, but the uneven bed has her roll off and into to Richard who also falls backwards, ending up with her sitting in his lap on the floor. "I can't even do that right." She sobs as she tries to get up, only to have Richard grab her wrist and holds her close.

"It's ok Rae, it's wasn't your fault." Richards says as he strains to hold onto her as she struggles a little against him.

"I should have been there to protect them!"

"You can't be responsible for everyone you care about." Richards insists. "No they didn't deserve it, but we all have that stupid chance."

"I should still have been there." Raven whispers in another sob, Richard can tell she is building up the dam again to hold in the emotions that needs to come out.

"Rae, you were the one that told me I should reign in my emotions when Starfire couldn't recognize me. You shouldn't either, it's not healthy and they wouldn't want you to." Raven sniffs as the dam she was building is washed away in her grief and tears.

Richard holds onto her through the entire ordeal that leaves nothing left of the inventory, while first remaining silent; gradually he begins crying as well. Because it breaks his heart to see her like this, and because he blames himself for making the communicators in the first place.

"So, where do you think Rob and Rae went?" Beastboy asks the collective group of Titans East and West sits at the table in the cafeteria.

"Hopefully something the League will let her walk away from." Cyborg grumbles, his mind occupied with images of a gore splattered cell.

"How'd she take it? I mean initially?" Aqualad asks while staring holes in his glass of water.

"Rob said he has never seen anything like it, they found one guy pissing in his pants, Metallo fused to the walls and the Joker with a set of broken ribs. Flash got sent to Azerath when he tried to stop her, and she and Superman tore a hallway apart as he tried to calm her down." Cyborg sighs.

"So what are we going to do about… Terra?" Speedy asks while keeping a heavy note of venom in his voice as he speaks the name.

"Dunno, Rob is tight lipped, but we have been working on a way to neutralize her powers so we can get her off the station." Cyborg says before the table fall silent.

"I wonder how many times the twins we the actual cause of our disagreements?" Aqualad muses to Speedy, deciding to steer the conversation away from the murderer.

"Bet it was just me they were after." Speedy smirks as he thinks back.

"Heh, remember the two ending up in a fight over Star?" Bumblebee adds.

"Yes, I remember that as well." Stafire says, though she remembers she was unsure how to handle the two.

"I remember how annoyed Rae was when she found out about escorting the Kids." Beastboy adds.

"Could just have been because you decided to play operator with her." Cyborg counters with a smirk.

"Oh yeah? Well I remember the time when you lost to Pantha…" Beastboy continues, thus beginning the walk down memory lane and good spirited arguing.

Nightwing and Raven would join them later on, their own grief having run its course and they joined in, contributing their own memories of those lost. Unknown to the Titans, the numerous laughs that came from their table caused a ripple effect in the League, who also became less gloom and began remembering the good times Nemesis had provided.

* * *

**Authors Notes: **Couple of slower chapters. Next up, the quest continues and the mages hit a slight snag.


	20. Phase Two

_The day following the memorial, the Tower of Fate._

"I guess I don't have to say that I am a little annoyed that I've been kept mostly out of the loop?" Raven says to the other mystics seated around the table. Before returning here she had left Cerberus in the care of Starfire who already adores the beast.

"We thought it best you were left undisturbed, so you could focus on healing yourself." Fate says.

"Unfortunately we have bad news regarding the missing articles." Jason sighs. "Tala is personally willing to hand over the dragon for a favor regarding her imprisonment, but the other Succubi are probably not as forthcoming since they have not been… suitably cowed yet. And she can't get in contact with them from the cell."

"So we have to go get it ourselves." Raven surmises, hating the idea she was having about how to do that and she suspected the others already knew what it was before she formed it.

"You have an idea about how to get it?" Zatanna notes at the thoughtful expression Raven is wearing, the question makes Raven correct herself; Fate and Jason knew it, Zatanna didn't.

"I dropped Oolong's population off in the Eight Pit, every single one of its usual inhabitants bowed to me when I appeared to retrieve them. I could try pointing them at the Succubi." She says noticing the miffed expression Zatanna puts on. "No, I don't like it, much less that I have to admit to something I don't want to. And on top of that, I am worried about what effects an action like that will have."

"You can't just sneak in close and teleport out with it?" Zatanna asks, somehow hinting to Raven that she was trying to learn more about her, making her wonder if any of the others had been talking to her.

"He's too big for me to move, you or Fate perhaps?" Raven asks.

"The risk is too great I am afraid, because we are mortal souls, the Succubi will sense us too easily for us to get inside unnoticed." Fate says.

"They are like sharks, while a mortal soul is like a piece of raw meat." Jason adds. "As I see it you haven't too much knowledge of how things are in the Greater Hell?" Raven shakes her head, she had all her knowledge from books. "The city the Succubi inhabit lies relatively near the border to where Tartarus is anchored. While this world may think Hell is unified, it is really always in a state of war with various regional warlords fighting one another. Since the fall of Trigon, the Pit has remained quiet, something that greatly unnerves the current Dominus of the Greater Hell; Neron."

"And dealing with him, will lead to disaster." Fate mentions, shooting down the idea in Raven's head. "He is a deal maker and the Prince of Lies. Those who have bargained with him have all suffered for it in the end."

"Unfortunately, a fast military strike is the only sure way of getting what we need, at least in my eyes." Jason continues, Raven sighs.

"And Etrigan can't help us to get it through more subtle means?" She asks.

"Only in battle, he not a diplomatic sort." Jason says.

"If I do this, I risk bringing war to the Pit, while that does not concern me, it's that the war might follow me up here does since I assume I have to be personally present." Raven adds, it was in her old books that demons never hid any foul deed unless it meant casting blame on someone else. As Azar had told her; the life of a lesser demon was a constant battle to prove their own superiority and there were never an opportunity wasted to prove who was the better. Aspirin greater demons might attempt plans that required more subtlety, but quite often they would be trounced by the planners and schemes further up the hierarchy . Also she let her know that a new ruler often thought a war was a proper celebration. Azar had of course spoken of this with a great amount of contempt in her voice, because it was the total opposite of her own views and those of Azerath.

"But we are however fortunate that it is not easy for those who are fully demonic to venture from Hell by their own volition and an invasion is night unheard of without some major aid from this plane, or through a great expense of power. You and I can do so effortlessly because of our natures and mortal mages can do so as well if they come prepared. I believe, if discovered; only the Pit would be affected on a large scale." Jason explains.

"There is a problem though." Zatanna says. "What happens if Etrigan decides to tell Neron?" Jason nods at this and mumble his verse, letting Etrigan appear.

"As you know, I enjoy fighting more than anything and I would have much to gain if war broke out, more still if I was to engineer an ambush. Yet I have personal reason to wish to side with the Trigonians in this venture." He says as he licks his lips. "Merlin."

"What has your brother to do with this?" Raven asks having been told by Jason who one of Etrigan's brothers was.

"The fool rules the Succubi from their citadel, as the consort of Tala." He continues as a red gleam appears in his eyes.

"I have an injection." Fate says, drawing the demon's attention but he remains unfazed by the look he is sent. "Merlin was raised and taught to restrain and control you specifically."

"Which is why I demand the chance to assure his death, by removing the fool's head!" Etrigan snaps while slamming his fist into the table, breaking it in half before turning to Raven, who was quick enough to levitate their cups of tea and coffee to save them. "Will your Highness allow me that?" Raven just narrows her eyes at him.

"And what happens if you are controlled and set against me again?" She asks calmly.

"Then we meet again on the field of strife." Etrigan shrugs as Fate has the table reassemble itself from the pieces. "Neither Myrddin nor I can stand against an army, if I am overcome, Merlin's head is anyone's for the taking."

"And what does Jason say about this?" Raven asks.

"I don't like it." Zatanna says before Etrigan can reply. "Merlin is a mage of incalculable power, some even call him Fate's counterpoint in Hell." She continues as Etrigan mutters to himself and changes back to Jason.

"He is viewed as such, the strongest of Belial's children in the fields of magic." Jason says. "And to answer your question Raven, I desire the same as Etrigan. While I opened the gates and let Camelot fall, I have since learned that the curse Merlin put upon me, while I was on the threshold of death, was never meant to be lifted by Merlins or anyone elses hand. Long before the siege, Merlin had imprisoned Etrigan in a glass bottle by sorcery, but when Camelot's defeat was inevitable he needed to prevent Morganna le Fay from acquiring him. Thus by my own foul deeds, Merlin had his perfect host to curse. He claimed the curse would be lifted once I atoned for my deeds, yet my centuries of toil have born no fruit." He sighs. "Perhaps with his death my curse will be lifted, perhaps not, as I see it Myrddin, as he is known today, is a force of evil and must be opposed regardless."

"I must agree to this." Fate says after a moment's thought. "Though he may not be visibly seen in this world, he is a planner and has others do his bidding for him, I myself having come into contact with his agents in the past. Therefore I shall join you on this venture in hopes to upset his long term plans." Raven raises her eyebrow at this.

"Then I am going too." Zatanna adds suddenly.

"You are all aware this is a trip to Hell and onto a battlefield?" Raven asks.

"No need to coddle us Raven, we have been doing this longer than you." Zatanna says with a slight smirk.

"Right, just checking if I was going to do this with a group of crazies." Raven sighs as she rubs her eyes, getting an amused huff out of the sorceress.

"Kent, you have a visitor." Inza announces in her quiet voice, the others look up to see who it is, Raven blinks a few times at the sight.

"_What is she doing here?!"_ Diana asks in surprise.

"I take that back, I am the crazy one." Raven says as she gets up greet the visitor. "What are you doing here sister?"

"I… uh, Magala had a vision and sent me." Philipus says as she walks down the small flight of steps, she is wearing a pair of brown leather pants along with a vest of the same material over a dark blue shirt that leaves her lower arms and bracelets exposed. "I would have asked the others, but Magala insisted I go alone and immediately."

"May I inquire into the nature of this portent?" Fate asks, his mind quickly wondering if other beings were taking an interest in their doings..

"Alas I cannot say, Magala neglected to mention anything other than I was needed here before sending me here, wherever here is."

"Hold up, I may have missed it in the confusion, but who are you?" Zatanna asks.

"Sorry." Raven says. "This is Philipus of Themyscira, magician's apprentice." Philipus waves sheepishly at the seated group at the introduction. "And Philipus she is Zatanna Zatara and the man is Jason Blood." Raven continues pointing out the people; Jason greets her with a wave. "And you know Dr. Fate."

"So you are a mage as well?" Zatanna asks, getting a nod from Philipus. "I think we could use all the help we can get." She continues, getting a nod from Fate.

"Well I am here to help if able." Philipus says as she takes a seat. "So where are we going?"

"Currently we are debating how we acquire the last few missing ingredients for the spell needed to bring back the League Founders." Fate says. "Including Princess Diana."

"The Queen will be relieved when she hears that." Philipus says.

"Quite. The problem is that we need a feather from the First Fallen, a dragons claw and hair from an ageless mortal." Jason says.

"I am unfamiliar with these items." Philipus admits.

"Well, we were just discussing about how to acquire the claw." Zatanna says. "Problem is that the dragon it is attached to, is inside a fortress of some kind, in Hell."

"So another visit to a place filled with demons, fire and danger." Raven surmises, unsure if Philipus knew what Hell was.

"I should have brought the others." Philipus says. "Or do you intend on storming it alone?" She asks Raven.

"No, Fate, Zatanna and Jason want to come as well, but I was thinking of bringing the Pit for that." Raven says, uncomfortably noting that Philipus might think of her as a kind of superior to the others, when she herself thinks the opposite.

"That army we passed on our way out?" Philipus asks.

"That army." Raven confirms. "You in?"

"I wouldn't want to miss that." Philipus says with a smirk.

"While your assistance will be appreciated, we have yet to discuss the other items." Fate mention. "Zatanna, have you had any luck with Constantine?"

"Yes, I've had him locked him in a room in Shadowcrest till he sobers up." She sighs, grimly reminded of her own condition over the last months.

"Did you find your mummy?" Raven asks, reminded of the corpse she had to remove.

"Yes, and with a little difficulty I put him back together." Zatanna says. "No not my mother, a royal bodyguard about as old as you, but quiet dead." She counters Philipus' question before it is spoken.

"We need Constantine to tell us where we can find the Feather." Raven mentions.

"And the hair, we still need to ask Nightwing about the locations Ra's could be hiding in." Jason adds.

"Would my hair not suffice for the spell?" Philipus asks.

"Unfortunately not." Fate says. "Immortals, or ageless beings like you, Raven and Jason, do not meet the requirements. We need hair from a person who still ages naturally, but at the same time has lived far longer than they should."

"A man called Ra's al Ghul, meets that criteria, he's lived for centuries due to a natural phenomenon called a Lazarus Pit." Bruce says from within Raven before she clamps down on him, she knows it's a reflex for him since he is the expert, but she doesn't when he just takes over.

"And unfortunately, he's not just someone you can hold down and shave." Raven sighs as a shuffle of feet is heard along with some mild cursing.

"Oi! No need to shove mate!" A man's voice is heard before a smelly dirty-blond man in a brown trench coat is herded into the room by Hassan who stops in the doorway. "Right… So what do you people want?" Constantine asks grumpily, eyeing Raven a little more than the others.

"We only wish to know where Lucifer is, we believe you know where that is?" Fate says.

"Oh? And why should I tell you?" Constantine asks while pulling out a cigarette and proceeds to light it.

"We are asking politely?" Raven asks flatly already noting down another irritating assumption about Constantine, he's a haggler.

"Not that there's anything nice about you." Constantine scoffs. "Who the bloody hell are you anyway?" He voices his own question.

"John, you remember me blurting stuff about Raven?" Zatanna asks while nodding at Raven.

"Hmm, so you're the half-breed piece of trash that had Zee worked up?" Constantine mumbles as he takes another huff while he and Raven narrows their eyes at each other.

"At least I couldn't smell her from halfway down the hallway!" Philipus snaps, only getting a grumble out of the man. Zatanna knows he is holding back his own reply because he doesn't know anything about Philipus, which she reminds herself is a good thing, because she knew from Diana how Amazons would deal with insults.

"Regardless of present company, will you tell us where to find Lucifer Morningstar?" Fate asks.

"Why do you want to?" Constantine asks as he turns away from Raven and Philipus. "And what's in it for me?"

"We need one of his feathers for a spell." Zatanna says.

"Heh, funny. So what's the real reason?"

"We need one of his feathers for a spell." Raven parrots.

"Hmpf, good luck getting him to part with one." Constantine shrugs. "Hell, you might end up on the six o clock news for this."

"Not if we don't know where to find him." Jason adds, though he had a sneaking suspicion that Constaine was interested. "And I am sure we can work out a suitable arrangement." He continues as Constantine eyes them all, something Zatanna, Fate and Blood know is going to come back and be a nuisance for them all later on.

"Well all right, but you owe me for this one. Any of you know the song called The Devil Went To Georgia?" Constantine asks, getting a host of shaking heads. "Good, because he didn't, he went to Louisiana. Runs an invitation-only bar called Dis on Bourbon Street, New Orleans, classy place from what I saw of it, before he booted me out."

"Wonder why?" Philipus notes sarcastically.

"Lady, you are pushing my buttons." Constantine growls while trying to look intimidating.

"She's an Amazon; you won't win a fistfight against her." Raven notes offhandedly.

"Whatever. I'm leaving with or without ya lordships permission." Constantine shrugs as he turns around. "Coming Zee?" He asks over his shoulder.

"I have stuff to do." Zatanna sighs and looks away as he sighs and walks out of the room, followed by Hassan leaving only the smell of his cigarette behind.

"Charming." Raven notes.

"He can be actually, when not drunk, hungover or angry." Zatanna sighs. "And he is going to be more annoying when he decides to get paid for this."

"_He and Zatanna had a relationship once, practiced tantra." _Bruce mentions from the inside while Zatanna is talking, going unheard by the others.

"_I'll pretend I didn't hear that."_ Raven sends back while wondering why he'd mention that before noting that he was looking for the reactions in the council room. "So, how do we get in?"

"Could we kick his door down?" Philipus suggests.

"And promptly get incinerated?" Jason counters with a raised eyebrow. "No, we have to play by his rules, if we wish to have any chance of success."

"Lucifer is beyond Hades level of bad." Raven adds. "But he has a similar story to Hades."

"Oh." Philipus says feeling almost embarrassed to have suggested it.

"So we dress up nicely and try seeing if he is in a good mood?" Zatanna asks. "Or do we wait and hope one of us suddenly receive an invitation?"

"Quite possibly he will be aware of us before we even see his bar." Fate counters. "If I am not mistaken, he will already be aware of the situation, if it has any significance amongst the Higher Realms.

"Any chance his bar has a phone?" Raven asks, getting a questioning look from Philipus.

"Please, you think Lucifer, the Devil himself, has a phone?" Zatanna dismisses.

"Actually he might." Jason cuts in. "As funny as it may sound. I'll go see if we are in luck." He continues before getting out of his seat and walks out of the room.

"There is something odd about that man." Philipus whispers to Raven.

"There's a demon sharing his body, you will see it when we go get the dragon if not before. And he has good hearing." Raven replies as Jason returns with a large yellow phone book appearing as if he hadn't heard Philipus or didn't care.

"We are fortunate." He says as he puts the book down and points at a number with an address. "And I assume it can't hurt to know if he will even see us."

"That has got to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen." Zatanna says while looking at the book proudly displaying the name, address and number of Dis.

"According to Charles Baudelaire, the greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was to convince the world he didn't exist." Raven says. "So who wants to call him?"

"I will." Jason says as an old fashioned red telephone drifts into the room before landing on the table. Jason dials the number and waits. "Hello? Jason Blood speaking.I was wondering if making an appointment with your boss is possible. Yes, I will hold." Jason stares at the bookracks in front of him while growing a little red in the face, obviously not entirely comfortable in the situation. "Yes, still here. Really, that's kind of… aha, ok, yes I understand. I will pass that along. Yes, thank you." The conversation ends as he puts down the phone and massages his ear with a palm, obviously having just received an earful that wasn't as polite as the one he delivered. "That was Mazikeen, his bartender; 'Sam' has time during opening hours on the day after tomorrow." He says.

"Well, it will give us time to freshen up." Zatanna notes.

"He will only see Raven." Jason counters quickly, internally making Raven form the image of her head rolling off her shoulders and bouncing off the table. "The meeting is off if he notices even one of the rest of us in Louisiana. And he knows who is in this room." He continues, looking at Philipus. "But he didn't say why."

"I hope I get by without him turning me into something disturbing." Raven groans at the prospect. "Anything else I should know about?"

"Said he would prefer if you dress accordingly." Jason shrugs. "Whatever that means."

"_Gives you some time to sort out the LexCorp business." _Bruce mentions.

"As the man in black just mentioned, I have some business in Gotham tomorrow." Raven continues. "I'll deal with that first, then go see Lucifer. If I get the feather, we can see if we need to invade Hell and hunt for al Ghul."

"Sounds good to me…What business?" Zatanna asks.

"Only proposing to have LexCorp taken over by another company. Personally, I'd prefer a trip to Hell." Raven says offhandedly.

"_It's not that bad."_ Bruce mentions.

"_You are talking to one with stage fright."_ Raven sends back.

"_Get over it."_ Bruce grumbles.

"You know sister, when you hold them long enough; one can almost see those you are talking to." Philipus mentions, with a hint of amusement in her voice.

"It's true, it was Batman wasn't it?" Fate says.

"Yes, he's the most vocal of them since he spends most of his time looking at the world through my eyes." Raven sighs.

"What is the Princess doing?" Philipus asks.

"She and the others are stuck with Batman as a drill sergeant, believe me Artemis was a walk along the beach." Raven says with a smirk.

"_It's not that bad." _Diana mentions.

"_Says you."_ Wally adds out of breath.

"_Keep it up Lantern."_ Bruce says.

"_Yes Sir!"_ The former marine yells.

"That has got to be a racket." Zatanna says.

"You get used to it." Raven shrugs. "I guess I better get to Gotham, I'll let you know how it goes." She says as she gets out of her seat.

"Just leaving me here with these strange people sister?" Philipus asks, she tries to sound sarcastic, but Raven can tell she is a genuinely a little worried.

"Don't be such a girl; they are nice enough, then not trying to coax information out of you." Raven smirks before teleporting away, leaving a slightly worried Amazon behind.

"I always wondered what kind of magic the Amazon's employed." Jason mentions, getting Philipus' eye to widen a fraction more.

_Wayne Manor:_

"Miss Raven, how good it is to see you again." Alfred says as he opens the front door, Raven had told Bruce she felt his front door was too big not to knock on and she wasn't sure if Richard was in the cave and that she still felt too much like a visitor to just appear inside.

"Nice to be here again Alfred." Raven says as she walks in, letting the old man close the door after her.

"I trust the memorial was suitable?" He asks.

"It was very nice, thank you." Raven replies. "So how is the house?"

"Very much empty I'm afraid, with Master Bruce gone that is and with you out so often." Raven looks at him in surprise that he added her, but he doesn't meet her gaze.

"Well, hopefully we will get him back soon. So how are Richard and Timothy behaving?" Raven asks as she turns away from him.

"Master Tim feels as I do, and Master Richard is caught between trying to be two men at the same time." Alfred says as he holds the door open for her to enter the kitchen.

"He mentioned that." Raven sighs as she sits down, smelling that dinner is well under way. "What's cooking?"

"A lovely roast chicken with rice and brown sauce." Alfred says happily. "So how long will you be staying?"

"A day, I have to go to New Orleans for the evening the day after tomorrow before returning to Fate's tower."

"May I ask what you are doing there?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Raven says flatly, getting a fake-cough out of the old man as he looks into the oven.

"You may try me Miss Raven, but Miss Zatanna has shared some wild tales of her adventures during her visits." Alfred says as he leans against the counter, satisfied that the chicken is turning out to his expectations.

"Lucifer Morningstar has a bar on Bourbon Street and I have to try and convince him to hand over a feather from his wings. And yes, it's the guy that fell from Heaven and all that." Raven says while leaning her cheek on her hand. "And tomorrow I face true evil in the shape of the Wayne Enterprises board of directors." She adds in the attempt to soften the first bit.

"My word… they seem to have you working around the clock." Alfred covers up his own surprise. "Are you sure you are up to it?"

"I'm not sure, I have stage fright and Bruce wants me to poke his business partners to buy LexCorp. Reminds me, they will probably expect some kind of presentation." She sighs.

"Already done Rae." Richard says as he enters the kitchen, wearing a wine red T-shirt and a black pair of pants, and sits down next to her. "Meeting is set for tomorrow afternoon. So what are you doing after?"

"Mentally preparing myself to meet someone about a feather." Raven replies. "By the way, can you tell me what clientele usually visits a bar called Dis on Bourbon Street?"

"Not off the top of my head, but I can check the computer, you have to talk to someone there?" He asks.

"Yeah, the owner of the place." Raven shrugs wondering why Alfred had not said anything yet. "Said I had to come dressed 'accordingly', but not what that meant."

"Well, let's go look." Richard says as he hops off his seat, followed by Raven making their way down to the cave in silence. Richard hops into the seat and brings up an inquiry. "Ok, Dis, New Orleans. Here we go, owned by Sam Ale, hmm only constant staff seems to be a woman called Mekela Travish, the rest only holds employ for a few months at most. Hmm, the usual customers look's to be a mix of everyone, even bum's seems to get in." He says as he brings up a few strips of security videos from the street outside, one showing a man in a brown trench coat is ejected from the place while a man and a woman looking like they were dressed for a galla enters.

"Think I know that bum." Ravens says as the man gets up shouts at the doorman who ignores him. "Constantine."

"Wonder if he had Zee there?" Richard speculates, though Raven doubts it, either that or Zatanna simply hadn't known she was there. "He didn't say anything else?"

"No, but he is already getting on my nerves." Raven sighs while thinking about how one was to dress accordingly when meeting Lucifer?

"You want me to go with you?" Raven looks at him for a second. "In costume?"

"Guy only wanted to talk to me and said we could forget it if he even noticed one of the others inside the state border and he knew who was in the room at the time when the call was made." Raven replies flatly.

"Hmm pity, always wanted to see the Mardi Gras." Richard sighs.

"The what?" Raven asks, knowing the translation.

"Fat Tuesday, a carnival in January, but from what I can see, you have to brave the wildest regular nightlife of any US city to get to Dis."

"Wonderful, hundreds of drunk people just to annoy me." Raven sighs. "Can I see that presentation you have cooked up?"

"Sure." Richard says with a smirk. "You know we have to go shopping tomorrow, none of the stuff in your room is really meant for business ventures."

"We?" She asks.

"Of course, or will you insist on arriving in your cloak and leotard." He jokes without turning to see Raven open and close her mouth for a few times before sighing in agreement as he brings up the presentation. "Ok I guess you have never made a presentation before, so I have made it simple. When you are up there, just present to them what these key points are, the files that will be handed out to the board. If you get stuck, use the presentation as a notepad. Feel free to edit in it if you need to, I got some other work to do but call if you need any help." He says as he gets out of the seat to leave the presentation to Raven, who hates him with a hand on his shoulder, something that surprises him.

"If I get the item from New Orleans, there will be one task we need your help with." She says.

"Ok?"

"We need a hair from an ageless mortal." Raven says knowing Richard would be thinking along the same lines as Bruce.

"Ra's." Richard nods. "We will need a small non-threatening team for that, or are you doing that solo as well?"

"No, Captain Atom suggested you, me, someone called Katana and Bushido. Bruce ruled out Donna because she will be seen as a threat to Ra's. So will I most likely if he knows about me."

"That she would, and no offense Diana, but she is a little more vicious than needed be." He says, having seen a few reports of people getting mauled by her.

"She tries. But Cassandra is worse." Diana says.

"I gathered. But that team sounds good, I will see if I can find him." He says before leaping off the central rock and lands into a roll on one of the platforms below, Raven rushes to the edge of the cliff to watch him roll into safety on a platform below them.

"_He always enjoyed doing that."_ Bruce mentions as Raven turns away and sits down at the computer.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **So, the team has their work cut out for them. Next chapter: Catwoman has a double, Tim plays a prank, Richard spits out his coffee and Raven's nerves get shaken.


	21. Cats on the loose

_The Batcave:_

"I know you are there Tim." Raven says after an hour of reading and editing, she had felt the youngsters presence since he arrived home five minutes ago, she did wonder how he did it though, since Alfred had not left the Manor.

"Damn, how do you do that?" Tim says as he stops sneaking around and walks up to stand beside her.

"Four years living with a boy that made his mission in life to prank me, and he could change into animals." Raven replies without looking up from her work.

"He did have his breaks when he succeeded, and lumps." Richard says as he walks up from the lower platforms. "Or have you forgotten the time you hit him with your book?"

"No, no I haven't." Raven says letting on a small smile at the memory, Richard smiles as he notices the small modifications Raven has made in his presentation, he had deliberately made a few mistakes to see if she would notice them. "So are you done with that mystery project of yours?" She asks.

"Nearly, should be ready for testing in a few days if all goes well." Richard replies. "Anyways, dinner is almost served."

"Sounds good." Raven admits as she gets up. "You are patrolling tonight?"

"Tim and I are; you can join us if you are done?" Richard replies as they walk up the stairs.

"Nearly, only a few more things I need to read up on and edit." She replies.

"Good, we are heading over to the Eastside tonight."

"Neat, I've wanted to see someone else get jumped by you." Tim adds excitedly.

"The whole invasion thing and that wasn't enough?" Richard asks.

"Nope." Tim replies happily.

_Later that night, Gotham Eastside:_

"_Richard, I am following a woman in a black skin tight outfit and cat ears." _Raven sends to Richard over the bond, Bruce being currently occupied leading the League around silently in Bravery's forest.

"_Hmm, she got out quick, that would be Selina Kyle; Catwoman. Where are you?"_ Richard sends back.

"_Not sure, but there are three jewelry stores further down the road from where she is walking."_

"_She is walking the pavement?"_ Richard asks a little surprised.

"_Yes."_

"_Hmm, might not be her, she prefers the rooftops, keep an eye on her just in case. I'll asks Alfred to check up on Selina's last known location."_

Raven nods as she continues to shadow the woman, running silently along the rooftops. The woman in question walks casually along the otherwise empty streets, stopping once and looks in the window of the first jewelry store. She seems to examine the place for several moments before moving on, guessing the woman will stop at the next store as well makes Raven teleport to find good cover in advance. Looking once at the store makes her hurry as numerous mirrors are displayed in the window, finding nothing she throws herself flat behind the stone railing of the building.

Again the woman stops, but she seems annoyed by the mirrors blocking the view to the rest of the store as she moves from side to side to get a better view. Raven peeks over the railing to see if she is going in or not, quickly ducking back down as the woman apparently sees something in the mirrors and turns around to scan the rooftop of the opposite buildings.

Raven keeps her head down and her ears open, but hears nothing other than the distant sounds of the metropolis. After a while she dares look up again, finding the street deserted, the woman is gone.

"Damn it." Raven whispers to herself in annoyance, this is a rookie mistake. She is just about to let Richard know before she notices the door to the store is in fact slightly open. Raven is a little impressed; the woman had entered the store and not tripped any security measure in the span of seconds. _"She's just entered the Bronston Jewelry Store."_ She sends, receiving no reply she flies down to the store before landing and entering. "You shouldn't be doing that." Raven notes at the woman looking up from the cash register with an expression of a deer caught in the headlights, the yellow goggles Raven guesses she usually wears is perched on her forehead.

The woman doesn't move for a second, before quickly tossing a fist full of coins at Raven's face before storming through the back rooms. Raven covers herself from the impromptu projectiles with a shield before racing off after her, finding the back door open. She forcibly starts the burglar alarm as she exits into the alleyway in time to see the woman turn a corner further down.

Raven takes to the skies, locking onto the mix of fear and exhalation the woman is now radiating like a signal light. Flying over the buildings, she spots her storming thought the trash littered alleys, expertly jumping and dodging any that gets in her way. Raven guesses this is either Selina, or someone who is used to the alleys. Raven descends as she spots the alleys is a dead end, intending to corner the woman.

She is surprised when the woman shows no sign of stopping for the coming obstacle, instead leaping at the right wall to get momentum to reach the fire escape on the other side before swinging herself up onto the first railing. Without pause, she jumps up to the second railing and onwards till she is up on the roof. Something inside Raven tells her to get the hell moving instead of staring, but the pause has another part add that the woman obviously knew where she was going. Raven agrees to this, she isn't running in blind panic, following her might prove informative. Locking onto the woman's emotions, Raven merges with the shadows and races after her.

_Elsewhere in Gotham:_

"_Batman are you receiving, over?"_ Richard hears in his cowl after the din of the noise around him fades away, interrupting 12 thugs moving stolen goods gets noisy, he was certain he had heard Raven's voice in his head at some point, but he dismissed it as he was in the middle of the scuffle.

"Batman here." He says pressing the part of the cowl that activates the microphone.

"_Spotted Catwoman near the border to the Southside distric, but I lost her."_

"Are you certain, Raven spotted her as well not too long ago?" Richard asks as he shoots a grapple hook and pulls himself onto the roof.

"_Positive, whip, goggles and leather get up."_ Tim replies. _"Where is she?"_

"She wasn't sure, I'll try calling her." He says. _"Raven?"_

(…)

"_Raven?"_ He tries again, still no reply, meaning she was most likely busy or can't hear him. "Nothing, but I told her to follow the suspect."

"_Selina still lives at the old address we have?" _Tim asks.

"_Indeed she does Master Robin, and yes, she was released shortly after the events in Jump City."_ Alfred adds, as was normal, he listens in on the communications from the cave.

"_I'll head over and see if she is home."_ Tim says, killing the feed before any objections can be made.

"Penny-One, would you mind checking if Selina has ever had any associates that have taken up her act?" Richard asks as he sends a call to the Gotham police to pick up the burglars.

"_Certainly sir."_ Alfred replies crisply._ "Hmm, nothing in the files suggests she has any associates other than fences, but it may well be unrecorded. Do you believe Gotham may have another Catwoman on the loose Sir?"_

"I do, unless Raven and Robin have spotted the same person. But that would mean Raven is way out of the area I told her to patrol in. I better head over as well."

"_Very good Sir."_

Raven has been following the woman for almost 10 minutes now, while she has stopped sprinting, she is still jogging across the rooftops, putting as much distance between her and the jewelry store as possible. Raven notices she gradually slows down, finally stopping for breath on a corner building. Raven moves closer hiding in the shadows of the stair access of the adjoining building , watching the woman as she feels something move past her on the other side, Raven blinks a few times as a second woman in the same getup as her target walks out of the shadows and over to the other.

"_Well this got interesting."_ Raven whispers to herself.

"You look bushed." The second arrival notes.

"Someone jumped me in the store." The first one says between breaths. "Wore a cape."

"Did you get clear?" The second asks.

"Think so, didn't see anyone after I got onto the roof."

"That's not a guarantee in this city, come-on, let's get our stuff and move, this place isn't safe." The second one sighs before making for the door, Raven thinks quick and has the door seal shut. "What the..? Holly did you lock the door when you left?"

"No, of course not." Holly, as Raven assumes the name of the one she has been following is called, replies in a slightly agitated tone. Silently Raven teleports behind the other stair access and climbs onto the top as she can hear the first struggle with the door or more exactly Raven's will.

"Damn thing is stuck!" The first one heaves at the handle. "Whoa!" Raven is on top in time to see the woman pull the door knob free and display an impressive feat of agility as she manages to turn around completely to land on her hands and feet instead of her backside. However impressive it is, Raven knows she has to act and get an explanation out of one or both of them, so she stands up.

"Ladies, you have some explaining to do." She says quietly, as the heads of both women snap up to look at her.

"It's her!" Holly says as she quickly unfurls the whip that was curled around her midsection as a belt.

"And I was growing fond of this place." The other one sighs as she quickly gets up and gets her own whip out.

"_Bruce, you may want to see this." _Raven sends inwards, before she points a finger at Holly. "You are coming with me for breaking into the Bronston Jewelry Store."

"Does that ever work?" Holly asks, before her free left hand swiftly pulls out something from a hidden compartment at her waist and throws it at Raven.

To Raven the object moves in slow motion, an effect she quickly blames the Flash for. To the two women, Raven's right arm blurs for a second, freezing again holding the knife thrown at her by the pommel, the point aiming at her left shoulder.

"That counts as assault." Raven says as she throws the knife aside.

"Holly I told you, no knives!" The second one hisses angrily before lashing out with her whip, aiming to take Raven's legs away from under her. Raven somersaults over the piece of leather, landing on the ground, and rolls as soon as she lands; avoiding the second whip that slaps the ground where she lands before she gets up.

"That's two counts of assault." Raven grumbles. "Arg!" She screeches as a flare of pain erupts on the side of her face, she clutches the area as she stumbles to the side, her hand comes away bloody.

"Leave now before you get hurt." The second woman says in a warning tone.

"That's three." Raven growls as she whips her hand free of blood and faces the two again.

"Holly, left!" The unnamed one says as she swings her whip horizontally at head height to the right, while Holly ducks and swings hers from the left, Raven on the other hand simply teleports away. "Huh?"

"SELINA!" Holly yells at the roof beneath her seems to sink away taking Holly with it, Selina quickly grabs onto Holly's flailing arms and heaves as two arms reach out of the shadows on the ground, grabbing hold of Holly's midsection.

Selina's eyes grow wide behind her red goggles a she notices two blazing white eyes staring back at her from the shadows. The two engage in a brief tug of war using Holly as the rope.

"Fine, keep her then." A voice says from the ground before Holly is ejected from the shadow and over Selina's head, taking them both to the ground.

"You ok?" Selina asks as she gets up, scanning the roof for the assailant.

"Maybe…" Holly groans as she gets up as well while Selina moves around to look behind the stair access and moves out of Holly's line of sight.

"Damn it, where did it go?" Selina whispers to herself, finding nothing in the shadows.

"Selina!" Holly's warning has Selina leap away from the stair access in time to avoid the fist that sails through the air space her head occupied a second ago.

Raven jumps down from the access and sends several punches and kicks at Selina, who either blocks them or dodges out of the way. Raven is about to land a solid chop with her left hand as another flare of pain races over her back to the sound of tearing cloth. The break is enough for Selina to get away as Raven stumbles forwards before turning to face the two again.

"Keep it up!" Selina says, before the two, almost in sync, lash out at Raven with the whips again. At the same speed, Raven reaches out with both hands and grabs the ends of the whips coming towards her, even if it results in her skin tearing at the contact.

"Crap." Holly says in the short second Raven holds the pose before she twirls the weapons, let's go shortly and grabs them again closer to the wielders. She then pulls hard on both whips and moves towards as both women are pulled off the ground towards her, Raven spreads her arms wide, catching them both by their mid sections before slamming them both together back to back.

"Nrg! Let go!" Selina growls as she can feel her breath growing short in Raven's bear hug.

"Can't breathe." Holly gasps as they flail with their arms while Raven is holding on and looking down to avoid getting her face ripped by the talons on the two's cloves.

Raven ignores them both and the kicks and small scratches she receives from the struggles, that gradually grows weaker and weaker, until the two hang drowsily in her arms, where she puts them down. Quickly she checks them for injuries before pulling off the leather hoods and goggles. Revealing Holly to be a freckled long-haired blond and the other to be a shorthaired raven head.

Sighing in satisfaction, Raven summons the two whips before having them come apart in several long strips, dropping the short pieces of wood in the handles on the ground. Doing a quick search, Raven relieves Holly of several concealed knives and the gloves they both wear, which has sharp cat-like claws in them that glint the in the moonlight. Also finding a pen and a piece of paper on Selina, Raven levitates herself, the two women and the strips of leather down to the street light outside the apartment building.

Using several strips of whip to tie the women's legs together, before using a few more to connect the two, so that they will both drop to the ground if the line is cut. Moving to the arms, she uses her powers to tie them back to back, with their hands and arms tied together between them and using the last strips to connect the strips binding their hands to the ones connected to their feet. She finished by writing a message on a piece of paper as Selina comes to.

"A word of warning, if your feet are cut free or you slip out of your boots, you will drop and most likely break the arms of both of you." Raven says as she finishes.

"Who are you?" Selina asks weakly.

"That's my secret." Raven says as she fastens the note to Holly's suit, using the pen as a needle and drifts away.

"Hey you can't leave us here?!" Selina says angrily, after gauging the distance to the ground to be well over 3 meters from where they are hanging.

"Sure I can, yell loud enough will draw the police and they will get you down. Good evening." Raven says over her shoulder before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Leaving a loudly swearing Selina behind. Neither Selina nor Holly, after she wakes, notice the two separate visitors that stops by, one only a few seconds after Raven disappears, and observe them from the shadows of the roof tops. The other engages the night vision in his cowl to read the note attracted to Holly before vacating the scene.

_Lost Kittens looking for new home, with bars._

'_Holly', this note is attracted to, was seen breaking into the Bronston Jewelry Store._

"_Cute Rae, but hang them a little lower next time."_ Richard sends after reading it. _"Tim said you got hit?"_

"_It's nothing, but thank you." _Raven replies. _"Was Tim there?"_

"_Saw one Catwoman at the Southside, but lost her, he went to Selina's apartment after I told him you had seen one too."_

"_Strange, I didn't sense him at all."_

"_He is like me when on the job."_ Richard sends. _"Are you heading back?"_

"_If you tell me to?"_

"_Better head for bed. Remember you have a presentation to do tomorrow." _He sends in a teasing tone.

"_Like I could forget."_ Raven grumbles._ "I will be heading back then and don't come peeking into my room."_She says before going silent, leaving Richard with an amused smirk on his face.

Later that night a doorknob is turned slightly in Wayne Manor, but its left at that before a yelp and a splash is heard from the pool in the southern part of the garden, the one in the room did not stir before the splash.

_Next morning:_

"Late night swimming Richard?" Raven asks as she takes a bite of her morning bread, Richard had been staring darkly at her since they gathered in the kitchen and to agree with his mood; heavy clouds had been forming since they woke up.

"Very funny Raven." He grumbles.

"I did warn you." She replies.

"I suspect the young Miss has her own means of defense against nightly predators." Alfred says while enjoying a cup of coffee, Raven had noted he did take time out for himself when his services were not required, something that filled her with an odd sense of relief.

"I hope you can say that after she pulls that trick on you." Richard mentions, without looking up from his oatmeal.

"Don't worry, I removed it before coming down here." Raven assures.

"Good, Alfie would have a heart attack if he took that dive." Richard grumbles, Raven just smirks.

"So how are your hands?" Tim asks, having arrived in time to witness the standoff, having hiddin across the street in the shadows. "Must have hurt catching the whips like that?"

"The one across my face and back hurt more since I didn't expect them, but yes it hurt, got the job done though." Raven replies offhandedly.

"Why didn't you go all spooky scary on them?" Tim asks.

"I am trying to get used to the idea that Bruce and the others will hopefully not be inside of my head in the near foreseeable future and that I won't be able to leech off Flash's powers, I think I tapped into that when Holly threw a knife at me and that last stunt I pulled." Raven explains and takes a sip from her tea.

"So why not go red skinned, you could have taken them out in a jiffy?" Tim continues.

"I could have taken them out without them even seeing me, but I try to remind myself whenever I can, that one day I might not have those options, so I try to do it like this. Besides, from what I have read, Catwoman is just a thief, a good one, but not one that kills, a rarity in Gotham's special criminal gallery." Raven replies, well aware that Richard had been staring at her since Tim mentioned the whips.

"What is the old saying? Just because one can, doesn't mean one should?" Alfred muses.

"Rae, how much time have you spent healing yourself tonight?" Richard asks.

"Only an hour while joining the others." Raven replies, as she holds up her palms for them to see the two trails of new skin where the whips hit, it stands out more since the area around it is still a little blue. "Should be gone in an hour or so."

"Miss I would suggest, if you intend to practice human only behavior, that you remember that we heal much slower." Alfred says, stealing the words out of Richard's mouth.

"I guess you are right." Raven sighs. "Best option would be to avoid getting hit at all."

"Or wear gloves." Tim adds.

"That is also an option." Raven smirks at the thought of herself wearing two large mittens and doing the stunt she did last night. "Anyways, I need to get the rest of the presentation done. And Richard said something about dragging me out to buy new clothes for this afternoon."

"Haven't forgotten." Richard counters while returning to his breakfast.

"Well, good thing they cancelled school today." Tim says leaning back in his seat.

"Tim." Richard says quietly, knowing a fair few times Tim had tried to worm his way out of school since Bruce left them.

"What? It's true, I only have one teacher today and she caught the flu." Tim replies.

"The note is on the refrigerator Master Richard." Alfred mentions over the rim of his cup, since he drives Tim to school, he was the one who got to see the note from the day before yesterday. Richard turns to regard the piece of furniture spotting the note and the signature at the bottom.

"Fair enough." Richard says as he turns back. "That bike of yours need a work over anyway." He says, getting a groan out of Tim, Raven just smiles slightly as she gets up and walks out the room and down to the cave.

_20 minutes later._

"Say Raven, how well can you do magic?" Tim asks as he lies under his bike, tinkering with it, while Raven is busy at the computer.

"It is a hard thing to gauge." Raven says without looking up. "Some may call me skilled, or powerful, others, myself included, consider me no better than a novice."

"In comparison to say, Zatanna?"

"If limited to just magic in a duel, I would have to be very lucky and catch her unaware, like I did on the docks. Zatanna is a very powerful mage really; she just tends to hide it under the stage magician facade."

"And Fate is stronger than her?" Tim continues.

"Much, but it is the helmet that makes him so. I've read about it, it's kind of an heirloom, passes from one mage to the next, storing all knowledge from its wearers, making it available to the successors. Nabu made it and his knowledge of magic was said to be enormous when he first passed it on."

"So what magic can you do?"

"Astral projection and telekinesis, the stuff I normally employ could be seen as a form of magic. I can perform a number of rites and rituals once I have read the spells and with the correct ingredients. Lastly I can do dark magic, but I have very little control over it." She says as she continues reading. "Why the interest?"

"I was wondering if I could get you to help me prank Richard." Tim replies without missing a beat.

"Magic isn't a toy Timothy, especially not the stuff I have." Raven replies flatly.

"I know, Zee told me that enough times before pulling a dove out of my ear. But Richard has been so grumpy since Bruce went missing, it's like he's becoming Bruce or something." Tim sighs.

"He's mentioned that." Raven agrees. "He will probably get angry too if you try anything on him." She continues, remembering the times Beastboy tried doing something, pranking a sour Robin never improved his mood.

"Only for an hour or so and he needs to lighten up a bit." Tim insists. "Tell me what you think of this." Raven groans inwardly having the feeling, she would have no peace until something happened.

Richard is still sitting in his morning wear with the morning paper in his hand and a cup of coffee in the other, currently reading an article about the mysterious nuclear detonation on Oolong Island that was still being talked about. He was having a slight chuckle over the idea how many problems Cale was facing when she is found, since the International Atomic Energy Agency was previously unaware of Oolong even had the reactors and now they want answers to how Cale got the fuel and what they were doing with it. Oddly enough being backed by the entire UN, because no one wanted the erratic island state to have nuclear weapons, or worse; selling them off to even worse people. Richard suspects that Oolong with its vast technological expertise was purposely blocking images being taken by most satellites aimed at it, fortunately for the League; theirs was built with more than just human tech. The thoughts are enough to distract him from the figure of Tim walking through his door while apparently drying his face in a white towel.

"Dick, my head doesn't feel right." Getting Richards attention, with a mouthful of coffee. Tim lets the towel drop and Richard spits out the coffee and ends up spilling the remaining contents of his cup over himself in shock. Tim's mouth, nose, eyes and ears are all drifting around on his face as if it was rolled up paper on water. "Gotcha." Tim says as his mouth seems to drift into his hair, and he turns and bolts out the door, Richard storms after him a second later, spotting the cell phone in the boy's hand.

_Later that afternoon:_

"Can't believe he talked you into that stunt." Richard says again, over the small lunch he and Raven are enjoying inside a small diner while the rain pours down outside.

"He had a valid point and I wouldn't have peace until I added something to his mad scheme." Raven replies before scooping in another mouthful of noodles with the chopsticks.

The chase had eventually ended right behind Raven down in the cave, where she had separated the two due to the noise. As a sort of repercussion for her aid, Richard had dared Raven to go shopping with him without changing her hair or skin color, just to see how many would actually give it any thought. Raven had just narrowed her eyes at him for a second, before rising to the challenge. Richards's sunglasses vanished mysteriously soon after from the green convertible they were driving in. So far, no one has seemed to actually notice it, not even the tailors who only had muttered a few lines about color matching.

So now Raven is wearing a tight pinstriped black jacket and skirt that goes down to her knees along with a white shirt underneath the jacket and a pair of brown gladiator sandals. She had insisted on keeping them brown so she wouldn't appear completely manufactured for the afternoon, she only used one word when suggested to visit a beauty parlor for makeup and hair, even in its extended state her hair was hers to deal with. Richard is wearing a black suit as well, one of many he assured Raven that he had, before voicing his thought that maybe he should have worn the white one.

"It will be nice when Bruce gets back." He admits.

"The Manor hardly seems the same without him being physically present." Raven agrees as she scoops up the last noodles, even if she hadn't been there for very long, she could almost feel the house was a different place to be in, but not why that was. "When is the meeting set to?" She asks.

"Three. If we head over now, I could give you a quick tour of Wayne Tower?" He suggests.

"I have to calm myself enough before I have to face the board, perhaps try and run it all through first." Raven replies, the last thing she is growing nerves would need was something not going smoothly. "Besides, it's just an office building?"

"Unofficial center of Gotham and an architectural gem according to some who decide such things. But you're right, let's get going." He says as he gets up and follows Raven out into the rain covering them both with his umbrella.

_Two hours later, meeting room at the top of Wayne Tower._

"And this is why Mr. Wayne urges you to consider this genuine opportunity that's presented itself. While LexCorps internal condition is not yet publicly known, the turmoil it's in can be read in their figures, thank you." Raven finishes with a flushed face, receiving a short round of applause from the group of 17 men and three women, before they quiet down, leaving Raven standing near the white screen the presentation was projected onto.

"Thank you Miss Roth. But I am curious, how exactly did you come across these papers? And why come to us with this offer?" A middle aged and white man asks, Raven had caught his name to be Fredricks.

"I have a personal friend who works in LexCorp's accountancy, if LexCorp goes bankrupt, she will be out of a job." Raven replies as calmly as she can, thought Anxiety is riding her for all she's is worth and she is fighting an intense battle on the inside to keep her powers subdued. "As a single mom, she is fortunate to have her current job."

"Understandable in these times, but you must realize we can't act directly on these documents." The man Richard introduced as Lucius Fox continues. "If we walk into LexCorp and put these on their desk they can charge us with industrial espionage, and with LexCorp involved, that will result in a lawsuit." Raven nods at this in understanding.

"I understand, I will not tell you how to run this company or anything. I was merely asked by Mr. Wayne to present this material to you because he thought it was worth the look." Raven replies while unconsciously falling into the waiting stance she had gotten used to on Themyscira.

"And how exactly did you come across Mr. Wayne? We have trouble finding him half the time." A man called Smith asks, Raven's mind races quickly to find an answer.

"I was so fortunate that another friend of mine works as a guide on the Bahamas, she recognized him from the tabloids and called me." Raven replies, getting a few nods from the men.

"And how was Bruce?" Fox asks, it doesn't concern him that someone could get close to Bruce Wayne, who, unlike many wealthy socialites, never wanted a bodyguard.

"Well when I first found Mr. Wayne he was… erm… drunk, but I managed to leave a note with him before he partied on." Raven feels like being caught between a rock and a hard place, on one hand trying to work up a workable impression of the spoiled socialite playboy and not offend the man in her head at the same time. "He called the afternoon after."

"Well that sounds like Bruce." Fox sighs. "Thank you Miss Roth."

"Thank you for your time gentlemen." Raven replies, before gathering the few bits she was taking with her and heads out the door drawing a deep sigh of relief after the door is closed.

"_See, that wasn't so bad."_ Wally is the first of the Leaguers to speak, the group having remained silent and observant during the whole thing in case they disturbed, Raven merely holds up her hand watching it shake. _"Ok, so maybe it was."_

"_I need to meditate." _Raven sighs inwardly, making her way out to the ladies room down the hall and slumps down on the lid of the toilet in the richly decorated stall that's equipped with its own sink.

"_Bet this place costs more than my apartment." _John mentions at the bathroom, while Raven begins taking a few calming breaths to slow down her heart rate.

"_I never understood why Man's Worlds lavatories always seem so decorated?"_ Diana adds.

"_It's a display of power, meaning the owners have enough wealth to decorate even the bathrooms." _Clark mentions.

"_This one is just for display really; the ones for employees are more down toned." _Bruce mentions, Raven has herself just under enough control to not let her powers spark as someone knock on the door, which startles her.

"Miss Roth?" A woman's voice asks, Raven guessed it's the secretary she passed when she and Richard arrived at the floor.

"Yes?"

"The directors would like you to come back when you are done." The woman says before walking back out.

"_Azar, I thought I was done."_ Raven sighs inwardly before bunching up her courage again and walks out and back into the meeting room, where Richard closes the door behind her. While it has been raining most of the afternoon, as the door shuts, the first lightning flashes followed shortly by the roar of thunder, all of which does not help Raven's nerves at all. "Yes?"

"Sorry, but we just have one question you might not be able to answer." Lucius Fox says.

"While LexCorp has a board of directors, no one here is under any illusion that LexCorp is very much governed by a single person. Luthor had his hands into everything regarding the company, Mercy Grave less so, but we are wondering what their roles are in this?" Fredricks asks.

"As far as I know, Mr. Luthor vanished over a year ago during the Apokoliptian invasion and he was a wanted fugitive before that. Regarding Miss Graves, my friend has only heard rumors that she has been acting erratically for several months now, pouring funds into strange projects left and right with no real ends, throwing away the stabilizing budget LexCorp was steering towards under her guidance. Some are beginning to draw comparisons between her handling of the company to the way Mr. Luthor did. And in these time's that is worrying for her employees." Raven explains while trying to remain calm. So far the US Government had covered up all of the actual parties involved in Jump City, claiming it was a previously unknown cell of tech terrorists who wanted to hold the president ransom rather than metahuman criminals.

"Hmm, we see. Thank you again Miss Roth." Lucius says while looking thoughtful, Raven just turns to see Richard open the door for her.

"The reception will call a cab for you if you need." Richard says as she walks out, she knew he was going to stay.

"Thank you Mr. Grayson." Raven replies giving him a smile as she passes him. _"Think I will need one."_ She adds internally, unsure if she could muster the will and power to get herself back to the Manor.

* * *

**Author's notes: **Just a little Gotham 'downtime'.


	22. A Bar Called Dis

_The Watchtower:_

"Yo B? Star…? Whoa?!"Cyborg exclaims as his eyes fall on the two in the gym, Beastboy struggling with the barbell Starfire was trying to bench press, the princess herself is flushed red in the face from the struggle and from helping Beastboy guiding the barbell back onto the rack over her, neither of them seem to have the strength to get it up to where it needed to be and Cyborg immediately races over to help them. "You two all right?" He asks after getting it in place.

"I am well, thank you." Starfire replies halfheartedly, the strain of the 250kg was not a boost to her spirits, considering the several tons she could lift once without strain.

"Fine, thanks Cy." Beastboy pants as Starfire gets up and walks over to the wall of mirrors to regard herself for a second, which seems to lower her spirit even more before walking out with a sigh and slumped shoulders.

"Was she supposed to lift this?" Cyborg mutters to his green friend.

"Only a hundred, according to Rob's program, but she insisted." Beastboy whispers back.

"Gar…" Cyborg shakes his head at him.

"She needs a boost to her confidence Cy, every time she looks in the mirror I can see it disappear from her. I thought if she could lift this even once, it would help." Beastboy replies.

"I know what you mean, but don't do it like this, had she dropped it on herself it would be even lower." Cyborg replies. "I know you mean well, but it will take months for her to regain her old shape."

"I know, but she really feels like she is in the way up here, what do you want me to do?" Garfield sighs.

"Stick her to Rob's program and cheer her on, compliment her, make her feel like she is doing well." Cyborg says while patting Garfield on the shoulder. "If she doesn't feel like it, try and lure her to do it anyway, and then compliment her, if that fails, order her to do it if you think it will help. You can always join in alongside her." He adds.

"Vic, you sound like Rae." Beastboy notes at the sudden stream of words Cyborg had sprouted as if he had come prepared with them in mind.

"Sports psychology Greenbean, studied it before the accident." Victor mentions with a smile. "Now, go get her back in here." He says with a smile, Garfield just smiles back and races out the room.

"Hey Star, come back, we aren't done yet!" He yells after her, almost colliding with Donna, wearing a black sports top and a pair of gray training pants and white sneakers, on the way out.

"Where's the fire?" She asks with a smile looking after the changeling.

"Starfire needs to build up her confidence along with her body, the two influence one another." Cyborg mentions, it was actually only Richards theory it was like that, but it made sense with her powers fluctuating with her mood. "Anyone ever tell you look a lot like Diana?"

"All the time." Donna says with a smirk. "I'm sorry we haven't been introduced, I'm Donna Troy." She says as she extends a hand to him which he takes.

"Pleasure to meet you, Victor Stone or as most people call me; Cyborg." He replies, though he has a hunch she already knew that.

"So, are here for training yourself? I could use a sparring partner." Donna says as Beastboy leads Starfire back into the gym by the hand.

"Sure, gives me a chance to keep an eye on those two." Victor replies with a smile.

_Wayne Manor, late in the afternoon on the day Raven gave her presentation:_

"Long day Master Richard?" Alfred asks as Richard enters the kitchen and promptly places his forehead on the counter after sitting down.

"You have no idea how boring those meetings are." Richard sighs without looking up, he feels tired in a way he rarely was, not because he had done a lot of physical activity, the kind where his body just thought he was getting ready to sleep because of the lack of activity.

"At least you weren't about to burst into flame or jump out the window in a self-induced panic." Raven says as she enters the room from a door leading into the garage, wearing a black training set. "How'd it go?" She asks after sitting down next to him.

"Don't sweat it, you did fine, they've agreed to 'test the water', as they call it when they approach some of the more sympathetic members of LexCorp's board and brings up the subject." Richard says while keeping his head on the counter.

"Why so glum then?" Raven asks, internally relieved she hadn't drenched the shirt needlessly.

"You wouldn't believe how boring it can get when their talks drift off into subjects like boats, fishing and wine brands." He says. "When they weren't trying to figure out your skin color that is." He adds.

"Well, thank Azar, I thought I was becoming invisible." Raven replies sarcastically. "Do you think they know?" She asks.

"Who you are? No, these people read Forbes and the Financial Times, they don't care about superheroes when they aren't in front of them and even then they don't know who it is half the time. I told them you had a rare case of albinism and colored your hair. Has Bruce said anything about it?"

"No, he's been quiet most of the day thankfully." Raven sighs, wondering why he had not said anything about the presentation.

"Busy with the others?"

"I know he's been keeping an eye out, but they have remained mostly quiet today. Bruce has been in Knowledge's realm after I left the boardroom, been reading ever since he got there." She says and Alfred looks up from his dishes.

"Peculiar, Master Bruce rarely reads anything thicker than the daily paper or case documents." Alfred says. "Has he become bored?"

"Anything interesting?" Richard asks.

"Can't say what he's reading, while I know where he is and what he is doing, I don't know what book he is reading unless I go in and look." Raven replies.

"How about you?" Richard asks, finally picking his head off the tiled counter, leaving a cross mark on his forehead from the tiles, Raven just stares at it.

"Meditation after a shower; I was down to see what was parked in the garage." Raven says. "It's an expensive collection you have." She could tell when the cars stopped being for Bruce Wayne's use and started becoming intended for undercover work simply by their state and what kind they were. It also gave her the chance to have a look at the huge Maybach limousine that Alfred would chauffeur Bruce around in, which resulted in another comment about how that single car probably cost more than the combined apartments of the other Leaguers.

"Thanks, it's mostly Bruce's." Richard notes. "Said he wanted at least one privilege over me."

"Funny." Raven replies flatly at his smirk. "So what are we having tonight?" She asks Alfred

"Sandwiches due to the time constraints." Alfred replies ruefully as he finishes the last of the dishes.

Like comparing the sandwiches to Alfred's true culinary capabilities, the nightly patrol proves largely uneventful, with Raven only breaking up a fight outside a bar, Richard grabs a single burglar and Tim getting the drop on three separate muggers and a possible rapist before they called it a night. Since heavy rain is pouring down, even most of the criminal elements seemed to prefer to stay indoors.

The following day is mostly uneventful, Raven spends it mostly meditating to prepare herself for the evening, when asked why she did it in advance, she replied she is already annoyed with the one she is meeting, from several hundreds of miles away and she has a feeling he will get worse when she meets him in person.

"So you think that is appropriate?" Richard asks as Raven walks down the stairs, getting ready to leave for New Orleans. She is wearing a long black satin dress that only leaves her bare toes visible along with her shoulders and arms, with two spaghetti straps going over her shoulders before crossing each other at the back of her neck.

"No idea, this was the best I could find in case I have to grow wings." Raven replies casually, she would admit the dress from Themyscira would be better suited, but that was ruined.

"Ok, good luck I guess, and try not to blow up an island this time." He says with a smirk.

"Will do and I will try." Raven says giving him a smirk before she teleports away.

"_Wonderful, it's Friday night."_ She notes as she appears above the rooftops of Bourbon Street, New Orleans.

The street beneath her is filled with people, all either singing, dancing and drinking like there is no tomorrow or standing in lines to get to do any of those activities.

"_Reminds me of Thanagar after a successful battle."_ Shayera mentions.

"Doubt any of them can defend themselves even when sober."Raven replies as she lands in an alley.

"_Do you know where you are going?"_ John asks.

"_Up that street and around the corner."_ Raven sends back as she walks calmly towards her goal, to her senses, the smell of magic is almost overbearing. On her way to her destination she has to trip one drunken youth who thought she would make good company, his friends only laughed at him for being clumsy. _"And here we are."_ She sends as she turns the corner, spotting the bar with the huge red neon letters spelling DIS in bold letters over the entrance.

Beside the door stands a huge white man with sunglasses, a shaved head and an open leather jacket that reveals the white shirt underneath. Besides he is a long line of people, all young, most of them drunk, all waiting to get in, which makes Raven wonder if it is by design or just accident she can't see any Invites Only signs.

"_This will take hours." _Raven grumbles, as she steps into the street, fearing she'd have to wait in the queue with the others. The doorman however seems to notice her immediately and waves her over. _"Maybe not."_ She continues as she changes course, heading directly for the door, getting a host of catcalls and complaints thrown at her. As she comes closer, a half-full plastic cup splashes down right in front of her, soaking the lower part of her dress and feet in the spilled contents. Raven looks up in surprise and sudden anger the direction from where the cup came from.

"HEY FUCK YOU! WE'VE BEEN WAITING HERE AN HOUR!" A drunk, redheaded girl yells, before the doorman stands before her, she doesn't get the chance to say anything before he grabs her arm and drags her out of the cue before pushing her in the direction of the main street.

"We don't server to troublemakers like you." He grumbles before turning to her friends, two boys with black hair and a blond girl. "Any of you wanna start some?" He growls menacingly.

"No, sir…" One of the boys peeps before stepping out the line, followed swiftly by the two other who join the redhead. The doorman stares after them till they are out of sight before turning to face Raven again.

"Our apologies for the behavior Miss, please enter Dis." He says as he motions for her to enter the building that has a red glow coming from the door.

"Thank you." Raven replies before entering, finding a fine, rug covered, staircase leading into the basement, the red light proves to be a lamp with a red bulb.

"_Was it just me or did he seem a little odd?"_ Superman asks, Raven guesses he caught the flash of red behind the sunglasses, or they were beginning to see the world as she saw it.

"_He would, it was a rhymer demon, same class that Etrigan belongs to, only that one is hiding in plain sight."_ Raven replies.

"_How could you tell? He didn't rhyme."_ Shayera asks.

"_The way he read to me. And it's an old term, most of the older and more powerful ones can avoid it." _Raven replies as she turns the second corner, emerging into a setting she did not expect.

To her left is a long line of tall round seats in front of a long bar desk of black painted wood that reaches half way down the room with a line of dimmed light half way between the mirror-surfaced desk and the ground. It gives way at the far end too; a currently empty, dance floor and the slightly raised stage area at the far wall. In the far left corner is the source of music; a lone man with blond hair dressed in a fine black dinner suit playing a piano with his eyes closed, completely unaware of the world around him while playing a slow jazz tune. To her right is a line of tables with surrounding tall black leather couches fixed to the wall and the ground, each table giving seated parties' privacy. The last table towards the stage only has half the seats the five other tables have, leaving a clear view of the stage.

While the room looks normal enough, Raven is more surprised that none of the people inside are completely human, some not at all, as her senses can detect magic on most of them. To her, only the piano player seems to be a normal human, but Raven somehow finds that incredibly suspicious in itself. Other than that, the bar is only half full, which seems odd considering the line of people outside waiting to get in.

She walks over to the bar desk, where she is quickly met by the tall dark-haired woman that hides the right half of her stern face behind a featureless white mask, through Raven can see what appears to be a lot of scar issue hidden beneath it.

"What'll it be sugar?" The bartender asks with a southern accent.

"I'm looking for Sam, I have an appointment." Raven replies flatly.

"Huh, so you're the bitch? Eyes on the piano." She huffs before returning to the other customers.

"_That was rude?"_ Wally notes.

"_Her name is Mazikeen, closest thing Lucifer has to a partner if that book I once read holds true."_ Raven says as she walks up to stand at the last table, watching Sam while he plays. _"She would be quite protective of him."_

"_Not exactly what I expected." _Shayera notes after a moment as Raven watches the blond man in the dark suit play on.

"And what did you expect Thanagarian? Curled horns and cloven feet?" Sam smirks without looking up from his playing, he sounded more amused than annoyed. Raven has the image of Shayera quickly covering her mouth with a hand. Sam plays on for a few more minutes before finishing, getting applauded by everyone as he stands up, even Raven who has no idea if he was doing it well or not.

"Thank you, you are too kind. I'm terrible, really." He says the last part with a smirk that Raven can't avoid noticing sends a tickle of fear thought most of the patrons as if he was daring them to agree with him. "Now, a pleasure to meet you Raven." Says while taking her hand and kisses it once, Raven can feel a pang of anger coming from the bar. "It is not often we have royal visits, please, have a seat." He says motioning at the enclosed table next to the one closest to the stage, Raven sits down with her back to it and he sits down opposite her. "Now I hear you are in a bit of a pickle, or rather that crowd in that head of yours is." He says.

"I take it you already know what I will ask of you?" Raven replies.

"Of course. But before we discuss that, Mekela!" He turns putting two fingers into the air as he looks at the woman behind the bar, another spark of anger. 'Mekela' pours two glasses of brandy and adds some ice before they float through the air over to their table, with Sam's landing neatly in his hand, Raven's spills a little as it hits the table. "Cheers." He says raising his glass, Raven eyes her drink for a second before raising it as well.

"Cheers." She says as they both take a sip. "So?"

"Well; why I should?" Sam says while that smirk appears again, which bothers her, because he is totally unreadable to her empathic senses, but his body language seemed to suggest he was amusing himself.

"Would you miss one terribly?" Raven counters.

"Perhaps I would?" He continues, still smirking. "But perhaps you can convince me to let you try and have one?" Raven eyes him for a second.

"A test within a test?" She asks reminding herself that she still didn't know what he meant when asking her to come dressed accordingly.

"Not at all, through simple conversation and my personal entertainment. And I will tell you why, look." He says before leaning out to face the bar and the other patrons again. "SPITLICKERS!" He yells suddenly, making them jump and one man jumps clear off his seat and falls onto the floor and the others nervously turn to regard Sam who just turns away from them having proven his own point. "See that? Most of them that come here act like that, it's annoying, I left Hell over a decade ago and they still act like in the old days." He sighs.

"Considering who you are?" Raven asks, she wasn't sure she'd have reacted any different if she had any length of experience of Lucifer when he ruled Hell.

"I hate stereotypes and I hate being seen as one." He replies and puts on a disapproving face. "Everyone assumes I'm the grandest evil to ever walk the cosmos, that I'm the great destroyer, that I will lie, make deals simply to get people's souls and occasionally set kittens on fire. But you know what?!" He asks briskly as if he was about to lose his temper.

"What?" Raven asks keeping calm, wondering where he was heading, if anywhere.

"It's all lies, started by… ding ding ding." He says the last part while pointing into the air.

"God lies?" Raven asks raising an eyebrow as she guesses who he was referring to.

"Of course it does, it proclaimed victory in a battle that never happened, so it wrote a book where I ended up the bad guy, mainly because I didn't give a damn. Of course when I had gotten settled down below, the PR war was long lost." He finishes by downing the rest of his glass.

"And the whole rebellion in Heaven and the fire pits down below?" Raven asks.

"All planned and sanctioned. Look at it this way, it is written that all rebellion against Jehovah is blasphemy but it is also written that everything happens because Jehovah guides it to do so. See where I am going?"

"God had told you to rebel or… leave." Raven says. "And those who followed you?

"Bingo, you are clever." He says, smirking again while she can't help but think he was actually insulting her. "The others… well lets just say some had grand ideas of their own but not enough balls to be the first to voice them, some however I just tested for the fun of it." He replies with a smirk. "Now back to the point, you saw how most of them reacted when I yelled? Why didn't you, since you know who I am as well as they do?"

"I threw out all presumptions I had about you when I was told that you ran a bar in New Orleans, but I will say I didn't believe you were actually real until recently, thought it was impossible to unite Hell they way you did." He appears to smirk in satisfaction at his, making her quickly wonder if denial of his existence was actually a trick he pulled. "And since someone called Neron rules the Greater Hell to my best knowledge." He pulls a face at the mention.

"Hate that guy; he's the poster boy to the stuff they keep blaming me for, he's the actual Prince of Lies you know? But thank you for at least trying to be open minded." He replies.

"No problem." Raven says with taking another sip. "Can I ask why you asked me to dress; accordingly?" He chuckles slightly at this.

"Merely to see what you would think was appropriate." He replies.

"So anything would have been appropriate?" Raven asks while nodding, it had just been a test that would do nothing but provide him with some amusement.

"Yup, while I don't steal souls from people, I do enjoy leading them astray into damnation." He says without batting an eye. "Actually that's one of the old things that's actually true about me; manipulation. I bet you are wondering why this state is not a battlefield with winged crusaders trying to smite me?"

"I wonder if the Spectre hasn't been by at some point?" Raven counters.

"Oh we've met eons ago, he just needed to stand in front of me to see he didn't have anything on me, not that he can touch me even if there was." He smirks in satisfaction. "Anyways, once or twice a year, to you that is, some hotshot from above tries to rally and army to get rid of me, I usually counter such bores by letting some information slip out or something that takes them somewhere else, not always pleasant places mind you." He says.

"Don't they ever get close?" She asks, knowing even the greatest of manipulators could fail if the target was unwilling to act as dictated.

"Once or twice, burned down Lux, my previous establishment in Los Angeles when I wasn't home. Heard firefighters found two bodies in the fire, not sure who's, human authorities couldn't identify them guessing it was me and Mekela, so we moved here instead. Now back to the appropriate dress, funny thing, a renegade succubus once wanted to ask me for a favor and she arrived in her underwear and a choke collar with a leash."

"I take it Mekela wasn't too happy about that." Raven notes, guessing anything female within 50 feet of Lucifer was considered a potential rival in Mazikeen's eyes.

"No, but it was hilarious since I asked her to go get something for me on the other side of town in that getup, no magic, no help and nothing to cover her up and very little confidence to begin with. When she got back she was ready to cry and go hide under a box for a year."

"A bit mean, wasn't it?"

"Of course, but I had fun. Mekela another!" He shouts, and another pang of anger comes from the bar.

"You are doing this to annoy her aren't you?" Raven asks.

"Of course, it's the reason why I asked you to come alone, not that I couldn't infuriate her with the Amazon or the party magician along with you, but you do have my genuine interest." He replies as another brandy sails over.

"Oh?" Raven asks, hiding her own amusement at the thought of Philipus sitting here, she'd be even more out of her element than Raven is. A small part of her does however find it a bit worrying that she was considered interesting in the eyes of Lucifer and she wasn't sure she wanted to know why.

"Well, the people in your head also have some interesting thoughts going through their heads." He says still keeping up the smirk.

"You're reading my mind and theirs." Raven grumbles.

"Of course, how else do you think I push people in the right direction? Oh and mind you, I am still the first bastard ever." He says before taking a sip, something Raven does as well.

"Suddenly I understand why none of your staff has held employ for too long." He just laughs at the deduction.

"Clever, clever, but true." He says with a broadening smile. "You know, some of them I just hire to see how long they will put up with me." Raven just humors him with a smirk. "Now then, enough about me, let's talk about you? Oh and this part is private." He says as Raven can feel the others suddenly lose sight, sound and the other sense she had granted them, there are a few protests. "I wonder how you shower with a group of men looking out your eyes? Secret narcissism perhaps?"

"Like you just did, I take away their sight." Raven replies suddenly feeling a little exposed all of a sudden.

"Not that Diana doesn't know what hides beneath your clothes." He notes offhandedly. "Such a lovely memory, kinky too. So, first embarrassing question of the night is; will tying you up become something regular in your love life?" He asks with a wicked smirk, Raven's face just flushes instantly.

"I… don't know." She sighs, a part of her was screaming at her to lie or to shut up, but Knowledge had concluded Sam already knew everything about her; he just wanted her to admit it. "Not like I have more than that one time to go on."

"Was it unpleasant having thrown all cares out the window and just lie back and relax?" He asks, Raven thinks for a second, fearing he would dance around this one subject all night.

"No." She admits.

"Excellent, I can tell you will be a good wife one day." He says with a laugh. "Now then, besides the Princess, who has your eye?" He asks while a glint appears in his eyes, Raven just downs her drink.

_Meanwhile, in the Batcave:_

"May I ask what has you so fully engrossed, that you have let Master Tim handle the city alone?" Alfred asks as he brings down a glass of water to the younger man seated at the computer.

"Had a strange feeling about that place Raven is visiting." Richard replies as he brings up several pages. "Look, first of all there is no record of the owner ever applying to the city planners about opening his business." He says pointing at a row of documents that scroll over in one window that was missing the one he was looking for. "Secondly, no official branch of the city has ever visited. And no contractors seem to have been contacted to work there. And it gets weirder, there are no tax records on the place or any of its employees. It's like the place is just there and no one cares or knows."

"The owner, being magical in nature, may wish it so?" Alfred suggests.

"Even Fate pays taxes." Richard mentions dryly, he also knew Kent Nelson was an expensive man to hire for his expertise within a number of areas such as archeology, ancient languages and such. "Now the weirdest part; these two, Sam Ale and Mekela Travish, there is absolutely nothing solid on either of them, no birth dates, no school records, no medical records, not even a social security number, it's like they just popped out of nowhere a few years ago and settled down. I don't know, but I have a very bad feeling about that." Alfred just raises an eyebrow shortly, unseen to Richard before putting down the glass.

"Miss Raven divulged the possible true identity of the man to me, perhaps this will aid you." Alfred says before taking over the cursor and clicks on Sam's name box before rearranging the last two letters and removes the space between the two names spelling; Samael. "I believe you might be more successful in your search for him now Sir." Alfred says before leaving. "But I might suggest you sit this one out?" He says over his shoulder before walking up the stairs, knowing Richard would have left when he worked it out.

Richard stares at the name for a second before running the inquiry, his eyes grow wide at the information he receives from the League's databases, he doesn't think for a second about the consequences before he leaps down onto one of the lower platforms and continues moving till he lands in the jet's cockpit. Two minutes later he is airborne, blasting out over the Gotham Bay.

"I am not going to let you make a deal with the Devil Rae, no way in hell!" He swears as he points the jet in the right direction and blasts off into the night.

* * *

**Authors Notes: **As (a guest) pointed out, Raven is not arriving during the Madi Gras, but rather a regular Friday night (possibly ramped up a bit in regards to how wild the nightlife is).


	23. A Song for Sam

"Quid pro que, Sam." Raven says, with a flushed face from all the alcohol she has been consuming. After several embarrassing revelations on her part, Sam had agreed to swap information like this. "What was my father like back in the day?"

"Oh a bloody warmonger, that's what he was." Sam says having unbuttoned his shirt as well. "Had a great bunch of arguments, head butting and border skirmishes to settle with him. You know, I didn't even bother inviting him for the tactical meeting I had arranged with the other Hell Lords when we found out about the Spectre?"

"No?" Raven replies while leaning on the table with one hand.

"Well for one thing, he wasn't bothered by the idea, I knew. And it would suit me just fine if he got his head stomped into the ground if he set foot on Earth in a weakened state. Ah, but that was a good meeting, I got the other six to try and take down the Spectre by themselves, kept them busy for a few thousand years, leaving me to enjoy the show." He says while leaning back with his hands behind his head, before quirking an eyebrow at something. "Hmm, about time he got going. Well, as amusing as this has been, I have decided."

"You want to have some more to drink?" Raven asks, her own train of thoughts had derailed about half way into her second glass. She wasn't sure, but she was almost certain that she had seen a black snake crawl down his shirt at some point during the evening.

"No...Well that too, but I was referring to the reason you're here."

"Oh right." Raven replies blinking a few times, over the course of the rounds of story swapping, she was deep into the 5th glass of brandy that seemed to be getting deeper by the glass.

"Now, if you really want one of my feathers, you will have to do one of these tasks." He says while three of his glass' are transformed into three paper cards that hover in the air before him, with their backs facing Raven. "And just so you can't blame me for trickery." He snaps his fingers, and Raven's alcohol induced befuddlement instantly vanishes and she sits up properly. "Option number one; my supply of Valhalla Mead is running low, so I would task you to go fetch me a barrel by any means necessary; storm Asgard, make a deal with someone or fuck them for it, I don't care as long as there is a barrel here at the end of it." He says as the left card turns around, displaying a wooden barrel and a lead cup topped with foam. "Option two, I hire you as an exotic dancer for two weeks with nightly performances." He says while the right card turns, revealing the silhouette of a woman humping a pole. "And the final option; you reveal your capacity for singing, five songs, right here and now, where I choose four and you choose one as a closer." He says as the central card turns revealing the drawing of a microphone. As he leans back to enjoy the growing anger on her face, the card's drift down to lay before her.

Raven stares at him first, before turning her attention to the cards. It hadn't gone her by that each card was representing a deadly sin, wrath, lust and pride. With the others still being kept quiet, she knows she has to make up her own mind, looking at the options, she can imagine them happening; one where she, a lone figure, storms towards an army for a barrel of beer. Another where she is swirling around a pole, wearing almost nothing with a group of drooling drunks staring at her. And the last where she is laughed off stage for getting a song wrong or tripping over something.

"I have a sword containing one who tried to storm a pantheon once, and now he is stuck in there. Number two will make me abandon all dignity I have, and lastly I can't sing." She says while pushing the microphone card towards him. "But you didn't say it had a standard." She says patting the card indicating her choice; he just grows a boarder smile before laughing slightly.

"You think you can outwit me?" He asks while trying to hide his amusement.

"No." Raven replies flatly. "But you did say your word was your bond." She continues, he laughs again in response.

"Ahh, that it is. Your choice is made." He says when he gets a hold of himself. "And this is what you have to sing." He says before forming a pistol with his right thumb and index finger, aiming for a second at her head before a tiny yellow flare passes between his finger tip and the stone on her forehead, Raven blinks a few times at the choices implanted in her head.

"You certainly didn't choose them because of my gender." She notes dryly,.

"Nope, but you are free to add one to the mix if you feel like it. You will need a change of clothes and there's some behind the scene." He says while pointing at the alcove behind the piano. "I'll get the band ready and see you on stage in 10minutes."

"Right." Raven says as they get up. _"10 minutes to, work myself into hysteria and pass out."_

"_Raven? Thank the gods! What happened?"_ Raven is taken aback by the sudden sound of Diana's voice in her head.

"_Sam decided to shut you out."_ Raven replies as she passes the piano.

"_And?" _John asks.

"_I have to sing to get the feather." _Raven says as she turns on the light, grumbling at the sight of a single chair with a pair of black leather pants, a tight, equally black short sleeved T-shirt. Picking the items up, she finds a studded leather belt lying under them and a pair of shin high combat boots standing on the ground.

"_I take it is not Celine Dion." _Wally says.

"_It's not for kids or the feint hearted."_ Raven says before sighing, shutting off their visibility before removing her sandals and the dress before jumping into the clothes, finding a pair of socks stuffed into the toes of both boots. _"I'm sure they were stuffed in there just to annoy me."_ Raven grumbles as she lets the others see again after jamming her right foot into the boot.

"_Well you look the part." _Clarksays as Raven looks at herself in the mirror of the dresser next to her.

"_Warm up your voice."_ J'onn says, Raven nods and begins to hum in different tones for a while before trying to pitch her voice in the right setting. _"Why the change?"_

"_I have to mimic styles that women aren't well known for performing. Please, I need to get this right."_ He replies and continues, uncaring of the rising noise from the bar outside.

_Outside New Orleans: _

"I'll give you this Bruce, but you sure know how to build them." Richard says as he picks out the motorcycle hidden in a compartment in the bottom of the plane now standing in a small clearing of a forest outside New Orleans. Having flown over 1500km in less than half an hour was no small feat.

Putting the unassuming black motorcycle on the ground, he pushes one of the buttons on his key ring, enabling the armored plates to cover all exists and vents on the plane. Putting on the helmet, he jumps on the bike and races off towards the French Quarter of New Orleans, continuously breaking the speed limit and ignoring the night air freezing his bare arms, since he is only wearing his training pants and a white T-shirt.

_Dis, Bourbon Street:_

"Well I hope you are ready." Sam says as he walks into the back area with a smirk. "Because the audience is." He says while thumbing at the exit behind him. It's at this point, Raven first notices the racket coming from the outside and hurries over to peek outside. In her mind she can imagine a certain green cloaked emotion disappear over the distant hills with a trail of dust after her, leaving a small gray cloaked one behind; the bar is now packed to capacity with exactly the kind of people Raven knows listens to this kind of music. "Your audience awaits."

"You are a bastard." Raven sighs, she had hoped that it would just have been the twelve customers she's had to embarrass herself in front of. "What about the duet?" She asks while wondering if Lucifer had conjured them up.

"The very first, and it's covered, you just do the grunting." He says from behind her. "Now, off you go." He says before landing a slap on her rump, making her jump forwards in surprise, turning around shortly to glare fiercely at him while the crowd roars at her appearance.

Inside the Council Chamber of Raven's mind, the League members notice something. The normally quiet, almost motionless, council members whisper amongst each other and some seem to shrink while others, mainly green cloaked ones, seem to grow in size. _"Cover your ears if you don't like it." _Raven says from above.

Marching briskly to the center of the stage, she takes a short peek at the band, a four man assembly, a drummer, two guitarists and a bassist. Their faces are mostly hidden, the two blond guitarists by their long hair, the brown headed drummer by the medium length curly hair. Only the bassist really stands out as he is wearing large reflecting sunglasses and is staring into the ceiling over the crowd. He is wearing an old confederate soldier's jacket and cavalry hat with regular blue canvas pants, Raven can't help but wonder where she has seen his face before, the sideburn-mustache combination, facial mole and the fact he looks much older than the other three put together should have been able to place him, but she pushes the thought aside as she grabs the microphone from its holder.

"Good evening Dis!" She roars into the microphone, getting a roar from the crows as a reply. "Are you ready?!" It's a trivial question.

"What order?" Someone asks behind her.

"Death in Fire, Insomnia, Painkiller, Stride the Corridors of One's Mind, we finish with Motörheads Overkill. You guys know those I hope?" She asks, without turning completely.

"Of course." Someone with a gravelly voice reply.

"One, two and one two three four." Raven counts quietly to the beat of the drumsticks striking each other, on four, those of her back begin playing with a blast of the guitars and the pounding of the drums, leaving Raven to time her part after about 40 seconds of leading in. Roaring the vocals at the top of her lungs in a deep guttural voice belonging to a large man:

"The wait is soon at end

Always charge, never bend

Morning is here, make your stand

Live for honor, glory, Death in Fire!"

Richard arrives, panting and sweating, halfway through the first track. Almost colliding with the headbangers in the back before he fights down the urge to cover his ears from the sheer volume the solo is being played at.

"_Damn it, Raven has got be stuck in a corner or a cage somewhere, this must be hell for her."_ He thinks right before a hand grabs his shoulder, Richard almost throws the owner over his shoulder by pure reflex.

"No it's not Richard Grayson, stand on the table." The man says, as Richard turns to face him, recognizing him from the small photo he had seen in the cave.

"Lucifer." Richard growls and backs away, ready for a fight, the man just smirks without making a move. "What have you done with her?"

"Get on the table and see." The blond replies still smirking, padding the piece of furniture. "She is quite safe."

Richard stares at him for a few seconds before relenting and jumps onto the table, and faces the stage in time for the last verse and his jaw drops as Raven roars it out.

"To-tal war is here, face it without fear

Age of sword, age of spear

Fight for honor, glory, Death in Fire!

Storm of lethal flames.

Only death remains- Ragnarok is our fate

Die for honor, glory

DIIIEEE, Death in Fire!"

As abruptly as the song ends with Raven's last words and the screech of the guitars, the crowd roars on in approval, many throwing the devil horns into the air at the stage.

As much as the hair and skin tone tells him so. "That can't be her." He says to no one.

"Trigon's only daughter, of course it is, and don't bother trying with the bond you two have, I am shutting it off as long as she is up there." Sam says from the ground while clapping his hands. "Besides, she is just upholding our bargain."

"What bargain?" Richard asks, unpleasantly reminded of the man.

"She gets a feather for a few gigs, so just relax, have a drink; it's on the house, since it's you." Sam says still smirking.

"No, thank you." Richard grumbles.

"Your loss." Sam shrugs in amusement. "But she's got four more to go." He continues as one guitar begins playing quietly for a few seconds before the bass begins playing another rhythm at a louder and slower pace, they both gradually get louder as the crowd quiets down to hear better.

Which leaves them completely open to the throaty drawn out scream from Raven that lasts over 10 seconds, its beginning sets off the others at a breakneck pace, now that Richard can see it the two guitarists are wind-milling their long hair while playing. Again the crowd explodes in cheers.

"I drown...  
For too long I felt the winter's breath  
The rain keeps falling down into my soul  
Thorns cover my grave... they hurt within me."

Again Richard is dumbstruck at the voice she employs, while it is not hers, it is not the same as the one she used before. Where the other was loud, deep and booming as if coming from someone larger than human, one suited to work people into a frenzy. This one almost sounds tortured, and Raven works with this as she hits her chest with her left fist, clarifying she is hurting within. If Richard wasn't so used to picking up words in a racket, he wouldn't have understood the lyrics.

Dumbfounded he jumps down from the table and pushes through the crowd to the bar, where Mekela slides him a cola without him asking. He returns to the table in time for the last part, where an old fashioned string bass is playing for a few seconds. Before Raven finishes off the song with the chorus. Getting another wave of cheers.

"Thank you!" She yells. "Are you having fun yet?!" She continues, while pointing the microphone at the crowd that cheers in acknowledgement. "Ok, this is an older song. You'd like that?" She asks, getting a new round of cheers. "Ok, but just so you all know, nobody messes with the Painkiller!" She gets a short round of cheers as the drummer kicks in with a lengthy solo before the guitars are added. Richard is surprised he knows this song, even more surprised that Raven does.

"Faster than a bullet

Terrifying scream

Enraged and full of anger

He's half man and half machine

Rides a metal monster

Breathing smoke and fire

Closing in with vengeance soaring high!"

Richard is worried that Raven may be overdoing it, as she mimics the original vocals almost perfectly, maybe screeching a little more in the falsetto, the crowd doesn't care. Richard can't help bobbing his head and sings along, neither can most of the crowd when she enters the almost chanting parts of the chorus. Ending the song in a long scream.

"Thank you!" Raven says as the crowd cheers. There is a short interlude where Raven gets passed a bottle of water while one guitarist walks off stage to reappear later in the bar, trading places with Mekela who carries out a keyboard and a seat for herself and settles down next to the drummer on the stage. "Ok, this is a bit of a special song." Raven says while getting control of her breath. "But I will tell you, that there are parts of the mind that are best left undisturbed, this song is called; Stride the Corridors of One's Mind. Hit it!"

The guitar starts slowly, before the rest of the band brings it up to speed, making the positively most eerie combination Richard has ever heard. The lyrics Raven is singing is lost to him, in the screech of the tone it is presented in. Everyone seems surprised when Sam walks onto the stage and adds his clear almost operatic voice to the mix, trading the text between himself and Raven and both joining in at the same time at one point.

_Raven: _

A story about a story told before...  
Questions to answer and no answers to a question asked before

_Sam:_

What advantage does a man have as he labors all his life under the sun?

_Raven:_

As the wind lashes and time evades  
Forth comes the wind circles and goes forth back again...  
To nurse or plant an orchid only to remain with seeds again to built, and harvest thin air...

_Sam: _

Carried away by spirits, carried away...

_Both: _

Perennial pain, night tears, rain and the sun in her place again  
Places unknown to man, and man who don't know their place

_Sam: _

Carried away by the spirits, carried away... Carried away by the spirits, carried away...

_Raven:_

The dead, son of the dead!

Nothing remains!

_Sam: _

No memories of the first and the last leaves no memory  
The wise is buried aside the fool  
A generation comes and withers away and the land forever standing

_Raven:_

The end is set, and so is the beginning

The end is set, and so is the end!  
Rather die as a lion, then live as a dog  
Rather go with a blast, and then fade to the fog  
To dream all night long, and awake at a bog  
Evil feeds on good, who breeds evil again

_Sam:_

Saw the dance insane  
Saw slaves on horses (and lords on foot)  
Riches turn to hay  
Minds and bone decay  
I saw flesh burning!  
The mortal coil-rendered into ash  
Oh all statues stoic, but hide a brutal demise

_Raven: _

Stride the corridors of ones mind!

Stride the corridors of ones mind!

The days of long since past... and old I have become  
All that was promised has turned to dust  
Hymns and prayers have come to pass  
Subdued and addicted, so perplexed, alas!  
And man within the mind's corridors-lost

_Both:_  
Saw the sounds and heard the sights  
I've seen the sounds, and I've heard the sights

Nothing matters but myriad moments of grace...

Again the crowd showers the stage in praise, continuing long after Sam and Mekela walk off stage and the bassist retrieves a microphone rack for himself, bringing it back out he sets it up so that the microphone is forcing him to look up into the ceiling, Richard can see him exchange a few words with Raven who nods at something he says before turning to the crowd.

"Thank you, you have been an awesome crowd tonight!" She says. "But this is the last song now." She gets a few disappointed calls for this. "But you should always leave the best for last, so perhaps you know this one? I bet you do." She says while pointing at someone near the stage. The bassist counts to three at the others and the drummer sets off before the guitar and the bass kicks in at a fast tempo and Raven and the bassist begin singing.

"Only way to feel the nose is when it's good and loud

So good you can't believe it screaming with the crowd,

Don't sweat it; get it back to you, Overkill.

On your feet you feel the beat it goes straight to your spine,

Shake your head you must be dead if it don't make you fly,

Don't sweat it, get it back to you, Overkill.

Know your body's made to move, feel it in your guts

Rock 'n' roll ain't worth the name if it don't make you fuck!

Don't sweat it; get it back to you, Overkill!"

Richard is again surprised, Raven is actually singing with her own voice for the first time and it doesn't sound bad when backed up by the gravelly voice of the bassist. The band keeps playing for almost twice the length of the lyrics, with the guitarist soloing most of that time. And Raven is alternating between the three, drawing the crowd's attention to the others. As they stop playing, they promptly walk off the stage to the cheering of the crowd.

Richard sees his chance and disappears out the back while the bartender is distracted. Passing through several dark rooms, he pushes a door slightly open, enough to peek into the room on the other side. Spotting the bassists sitting in a chair with a cigarette between his fingers, idly watching the exchange between Sam and Raven who are standing in the middle of the room.

"Well, a pity I can't convince you to come here more often." Sam says. "But at least you've made this a night to remember."

"I did what I had to." Raven shrugs. "So, payment time."

"As was our agreement." Sam says as two almost golden feathered wings merge into existence on his back, he extends the left one and plucks a single feather from it before handing it to Raven who grips it lightly. "And so our deal is concluded."

"That it is." Raven agrees. "I supposed you know where my clothes went?"

"Back in the manor, made the ones you're wearing out of the floorboards." Sam says with a smile. "Oh and before I forget, Mekela?" He says and Richard is caught red handed as the door he is hiding in is pulled the other way, revealing the masked woman on the other side, Sam and the bassist are the only ones who seem unbothered by him.

"Richard?" Raven asks in surprise.

"Entered Louisiana airspace when you decided what to do, leave him be Mekela, he is leaving a few moments anyway." Sam shrugs as Richard moves aside to let the woman pass, she soon returns with a clear glass cookie jar, containing a single object. "Yes, Green Lantern that pesky little thing is your ring, showed up here a few days ago like a fly, kept up annoying me till I stuck it into that jar. Why me do you ask? Beats me, guess inspiring Jehovah to introduce free will takes some of your own?" He replies to a question Richard can't hear.

"Well, seems I have a ride back." Raven sighs.

"Good thing too, all that brandy you drank will make itself felt when you leave." Sam says with a smile. "Anyways, I'd say good luck with that ritual of yours, but that would imply I cared." Raven stifles a laugh at this.

"Well, I could say something along the same lines, but I know you will enjoy the rest of your evening, farewell." Raven says a she turns to take the jar from Mekela and heads towards Richard.

"Hey Raven." The bassist has her turn around to face him. "Thanks for saving our butts back in Jump." He says giving her a wave.

"No problem." Raven replies before turning again. "Let's go." She says before leading Richard out of the building, stopping at the front door. "Why did you come?" She asks flatly.

"I thought you were going to do something stupid, like selling your soul?" Richard admits.

"Would have been worth it." Raven sighs.

"Not to me." He says, getting a quizzing glare from her for a minute before she sighs and turns away. "What?"

"Nothing." Raven says, before unscrewing the jar and puts the feather into it along with the ring. "I need you to carry this." She says, handing him the jar. "Not sure I can."

"The brandy he mentioned?" He asks while studying the jar's contents.

"Yeah, had five glasses and the water tasted funny as well." She admits.

"So he wasn't lying?"

"He never does, according to himself." Raven admits. "Time to see if he was right." She continues as steps out into the streets, instantly beginning to sway with a deep huff.

"Hold onto me." Richard says as he walks out, getting her to throw her arm over his shoulders as he uses his left hand to hold onto her. Together they walk into the night.

An hour and a half later, Richard is finishing the final part of the journey as he gently put her into her bed in Wayne Manor, before putting the dress and shoes away that was lying there. She had been slipping between mumbling and sleeping most of the trip home, and had not stirred as he brought her from the cave to her room. Without a word he begins to untie the shoe laces to get her boots off.

"Taking advantage of the situation?" Raven asks in a slurred voice.

"I wouldn't do that." Richard says as he pulls one boot off.

"Damn." Raven sighs and drifts off to sleep again as the second boot comes off, Richard thinks for a moment about removing her socks but discards the notion, instead he tugs her in with one of the thin blankets.

"Goodnight Rae." He whispers before kissing her temple getting a satisfied purr, or a snore out of her as she turns in her sleep.

* * *

**Next chapter; **Raven has her very first hangover.


	24. Hangover from Hell

"Good morning cruel world." Raven groans tiredly, staring at the ceiling from the floor, having been woken by rolling out of bed. "Oh Azar!" She says suddenly and stumbles to her feet and out into the bathroom trailing some of her bed-sheets after her.

"Rae, you up?" Richard asks outside her door, having heard the movement, his only reply is the noises she makes while being sick. "I'll have Alfred make you something." He says before making his way down to the kitchen. "Morning Alfred." He greets the man in the kitchen.

"Good morning Master Richard, how did the affair in New Orleans turn out?" Alfred replies, looking up from the pieces of bread he is slicing for the very late breakfast since it is closer to normal people's lunchtime than their breakfast.

"Well, she got the feather but she is severely hungover judging by the sound of it. The rest I am not sure if it was real or not." Richard says before remembering something. "Actually, I should have you tending to her needs since you didn't tell me who she was visiting."

"And I shall do my very best." Alfred says without appearing the least worried about it.

"But, I think it's best if I handle it." Richard continues, getting a slight chuckle from his old friend.

"Very good Master Richard, I shall prepare the necessities."

A few minutes later, Richard is opening the door to Raven's room with his elbow while carrying a tray with a glass of fizzling water and a few pieces of sliced fruit and a bucket with a little water in the bottom.

"I'm coming in with something for you Rae." Richard says as he pushes the door open, receiving no reply from the empty room, depositing the tray on a small table and the bucket next to the bed.

Guessing at where she is, he walks over and knocks on the door to the bathroom before pushing it open, finding her lying sprawled on her back on the floor next to the toilet, still wearing the clothes from last night with her eyes closed.

"Rae?"

"Go away." Raven mutters, before she battles her way up to the toilet bowl and dry heaves into it for a minute or so, she doesn't notice Richard walks over and gathers her hair behind her so it doesn't end up in the bowl. "Now I know how Tala felt." She sighs and drops her head, apparently unable to support its weight alone, Richard gently lifts it by her hair, making her help a little by doing so. Grabbing a piece of toilet paper, he wipes her face clean.

"Let's get you back to bed." Richard suggests; she just nods weakly before trying to get up only to collapse on the ground; Richard just smiles slightly before picking her up and carries her back into the bedroom. "Do you want a change of clothes?" He asks, only getting a groan from her. "Rae?"

"Pants." She sighs and tries getting her hands on the belt, somehow missing it completely.

"Want help?" He asks.

"Fine." She sighs and stops trying herself. He gently undoes the belt and tries to be the same with the pants.

"Kinda tight. How'd you get into them?" He asks as he struggles a little with the button, getting an amused huff out of her. Moving to her feet he begins pulling off the clothing article, revealing the black underwear underneath.

"Thank you by the way." She says as he pulls the pants off.

"For what?" He asks as he spots a piece of paper in the right back pocket, he picks it out and reads the top line before crumbling it.

"For not taking advantage of me." She says in the slurred voice indicating she is drifting off to sleep again. Richard moves up to look her in the eyes before replying.

"I'd never in my right mind do that to you Rae." He says sincerely. "Come, sit up, you need something to combat the headache." She just smiles weakly at him as he turns to retrieve the tray while she pushes herself to sit up.

"Fruit?" She asks as he returns.

"Well, personal experience tells me you need some kind of nourishment." He says before passing her the glass. "Drink this." She sniffs it once and sips it before pulling a face. "Tastes terrible, but you should be back on your feet later today." He admits as she drinks the rest. "Also the fruit takes away the taste." He says as he passes her a slice of apple.

"What did you do with the feather?" She asks between bites.

"Vault in the cave along with the ring, I was considering calling Fate and the others over to collect it?" She nods at him.

"Bruce says you keep them in the cave, except Jason." She says, he nods at her and passes another slice. "I need to rest." She sighs before eating it.

"Ok, I will wake you when the others get here." He says as he takes the tray with him. "Sleep tight." He says from the door as she crawls under the covers.

"Will do." She agrees.

_The Watchtower:_

_Tweet… tweet… tweet…_

Cyborg looks away from Starfire receiving boxing lessons from Wildcat, with Beastboy watching besides him and answers his inbuilt phone.

"Yo?" He asks.

"_Hey Vic, its Aaron."_

"Aaron, my man, how's it hanging back there?" Cyborg replies, Aaron is one of his friends from school, one that knows who he really is.

"_Ah man, it's been totally Dullsville here without you. So what are you up to? Saw your can on TV the other day."_

"Well, currently we are having a kinda Titan get-together, you know, jumping from one life threatening danger to the next."

"_Always knew you guys would get back together." _Aaron replies. _"Say, you watched the latest virals?"_ It had become a sport between the two men to find videos, pictures and audio clips to amuse them both during the more tedious lectures.

"Now Aaron, you know I don't have time for that." Cyborg says with a mock offended tone.

"_But you do it anyway."_ Aaron counters. _"Anyways, look the web for the video Amazing Vocal Girl, I swear it has to be manufactured, sounds out of this world."_

"How many have viewed it?"

"_Dunno, millions I guess. But check it out. Oh and spare a thought for us poor people who have exams coming up."_ Cyborg chuckles at this reminder.

"I'm sure you pull through, just don't spend all your time with those virals bro."

"_Got it. Say where are you?"_

"A gym, watching a friend getting back on her feet." Cyborg replies as he watches Starfire getting up to the cheering from Beastboy. "Anyways, good to hear from you Aaron."

"_You too Vic, just don't get blown up or anything."_ Aaron replies before the line goes dead. Cyborg smirks to himself as he finds the video, after three seconds his eyes go wide, he restarts it after a few seconds of vocals.

"Uh, B, Star, you may want to see this?" He says.

"Welcome to the infamous Bat-cave." Zatanna says to Philipus as they all step out of the ankh that appeared on the central rock formation.

"Reminds me of Tartarus." Philipus says as she takes in the dark surroundings. "Does the sun never shine down here?"

"We work best in the shadows." Nightwing says as he walks out of the wardrobe, having decided to welcome the visitors in his own costume. "What brings you from Themyscira?"

"She was sent as per the dictates of Magala." Fate says. "You have the feather?"

"Is sister Raven not here?" Philipus asks, looking around, as if Raven was hiding somewhere.

"She is upstairs, but if she will come down here is another matter." Nightwing replies. "She got a fair few glasses of brandy last night." He explains the unasked question.

"She's been drinking?" Jason asks in surprise.

"He was drinking it like water, thought I could as well." A raspy voice says from above, the others look up to see Raven make her way down the staircase, fully dressed in her old attire but looking paler than usual.

"Well you look like you have been burning the candle at both ends." Zatanna notes. "What happened to your voice?"

"He had me sing for him." Raven replies as she swallows something. "Hurts." She adds.

"Not sure if what you were doing classifies as singing." Nightwing says with a smirk playing over his face.

"You wound me." Raven grumbles.

"You saw it?" Zatanna asks.

"He thought I was going to sell my soul or something so rushed off." Raven replies before coughing into her hand.

"And here comes the cure for throaty discomfort." Alfred announces his presence as he walks down with a single cup of something steaming. "Tea with honey." He says as he offers Raven the cup.

"Thank you." Raven says before taking a sip. "Alfred, this is Philipus, one of my sisters."

"How do you do?" Alfred says bowing slightly to her. As Richard walks to the computer, spotting an incoming call. As he brings it up, it is revealed to be Cyborg with a huge grin plastered to his face.

"Hey Cy, whys up?"

"What's up?! Do you have any idea what Rae has been up to?!" Cyborg asks slightly agitated.

"What have I been up to?" Raven asks, making her presence known. At this point, Beastboy pushes his way in front of Cyborg.

"Hey Rae, how's it feel to be an internet sensation?" He asks before getting shoved aside by Cyborg.

"I'm a what?" Raven replies with a raised eyebrow.

"Only the center point of the latest viral video, got a million of views already." Cyborg replies, who seems to only now notice the group of people crowding behind the two birds. "Oh, hey there?"

"What video?" Raven asks punctuating both words.

"You don't know?!" Cyborg asks with disbelief written on his face.

"Show it to her." Beastboy adds from the side.

"All right, click the link I'm sending ya." Cyborg says as a blue line of text appears at the bottom of the screen. Without looking or asking, Nightwing clicks it and is prompted to the website that starts up a video streamer, the viewer is showing a stage in front of a wild crowd, then a figure seems to jump out onto the stage before she turns around and grabs the microphone. Raven's cup shatters as the figure shouts at the audience.

"Good evening Dis! Are you ready?!" Raven shouts from the stage.

"That bastard!" Raven growls while almost gaining a red glow in her eyes as the music starts. The other stands staring as the lyrics begin; they get halfway through before Zatanna whispers to Nightwing.

"Better kill it, or someone else is going to get killed." She says, looking at Raven, who's powers are playing over her like electricity. Richard nods quickly and kills the video.

"Uh oh, cya Rob." Victor quickly closes the call also spotting the fuming empath.

"Uh Rae?" Nightwing asks

"He didn't mention a camera." Raven growls between clenched teeth.

"He is doing it on purpose." Jason adds. "Strike at him now, and you are damned because of wrath." Raven just snorts.

"Unfortunately he's right." Fate adds. "It will pass, in time." Raven takes a deep calming breath and exhales loudly.

"Beats the alternatives I guess." She sighs.

"You had choices?" Zatanna asks.

"Spent an hour or so drinking brandy with him and '20 questions you don't want others to know about'. After that he agreed to let me try and get one of his feathers, I got the choice of retrieving a barrel of Valhalla Mead, singing a few songs of his choice or become a recurring stripper at his bar for two weeks."

"I think you made the right choice." Alfred says. "I shall prepare a fresh cup, would anyone else care for some refreshments?" Getting three declines and an order for a cup of coffee from Zatanna, Philipus didn't know what he was asking for so went with the majority.

"So can we see this feather?" Zatanna asks.

"I'll go get it." Nightwing says before leaping off the rock to the platforms below.

"I will say you seem to fit into this place more easily than on Themyscira's shores." Philipus says to Raven getting a small smirk from her.

"Thank you sister, those up there seems to like me as well." She says while pointing at the ceiling, it seems Philipus has so far not realized that there is thousands of bats hanging above her.

"What are those?"

"Bats, you've never seen any?" Zatanna adds.

"We have no such creatures on Themyscira." Philipus admits while narrowing her eyes to get a better look at the creatures.

"Hold on." Raven says before floating into the air halting halfway between the ceiling and the rock, hanging there in silence for a second before the ceiling comes alive and swarms around Raven.

"Don't, she is perfectly fine." Jason says as he notices the electricity being summoned by Philipus.

"That I am." Raven agrees as the swarm of bats retreat, leaving her to float back onto the ground turning around slowly, revealing the numerous bats now hanging onto her cloak. "Go on if you wish, I am keeping them calm."

"They look kinda cute." Philipus says after looking them over. "Are they dangerous?"

"Not them, but they are known to carry a number of diseases that are dangerous to humans, I am not sure if they are to you." Raven replies.

"Or to you?" Zatanna asks.

"After I left Jump City I traveled the world for a means to cure my appearance, I figured no one in their right mind would house me so I slept and lived in the wilds most of the time, several times taking up residence in bat caves. Since people usually keep away from them, I got the peace I wanted and they didn't seem to mind me." Raven explains.

"So this is not the Princess' presence that calms them?" Philipus asks, knowing Diana had such a way with the creatures of the wild.

"I took shelter from a storm in a bear cave once, I can't recommend the smell they make."

"May I ask why you never contacted me?" Fate asks. "Providing you knew what I do?"

"I thought the League was still out to get me." Raven replies flatly before noticing a bat crawls over her head and peeks out from under her hood.

"There was an old woman's saying that bats would willingly tangle themselves in people's hair." Jason mentions as Raven reaches up and picks it out.

"Doubt that was what it was doing." She says while looking at it.

"They are peculiar creatures." Philipus says as she finishes her own studies.

"Playing with the bats again Rae?" Nightwing asks as he emerges from below carrying the jar.

"Is that a green lantern ring?" Zatanna asks, noticing the object besides the feather.

"It is, apparently it thought Lucifer would make a good candidate." Richards says as he hands the jar over to Fate, while the bats return to the ceiling.

"The mystical properties of this feather are indeed great." Fate says as he studies it before passing it to Jason.

"So what was he like?" Zatanna asks Raven.

"Charming, but he pushes all the buttons he can just to get you to react." Raven replies.

"And he looked like?" Philipus continues.

"Like a British rock musician in a tuxedo. I think he treated me nicely just to annoy his girlfriend, which he succeeded in."

"Learn anything interesting from him?" Zatanna asks.

"Plenty, if I didn't doubt one of the first things he told me; he never lies." Raven replies.

"Actually he doesn't." Jason adds having overheard the conversation. "He prefers it that way, don't lie and watch mortals damn themselves. He wrote that down in a manual somewhere."

"Guess I could make a few churches question the purity their deities then." Raven sighs. "If it wasn't for the source material."

"Not one to usually interrupt a theological debate, but as we have the feather means we should proceed with acquiring the two other missing items." Fate says.

"Hopefully not before Miss Raven is well again?" Alfred interrupts as he reenters the cave with two cups and a few sandwiches.

"Reminds me, how did you deal with two months of this?" Raven asks Zatanna while putting a hand on her head.

"Easy, wake up, keep drinking before it got going." Zatanna shrugs as she retrieves her coffee while Philipus studies the contents of a sandwich.

"_She reminds me of Starfire the first few weeks we lived together."_ Raven sends inwards.

"_Reminds me of Diana the first few weeks… uh oh."_ Wally adds before vanishing at the glare Diana sends him.

"So what is the next step?" Nightwing asks. "The dragon or the hair?"

"I have been considering that question as well." Fate says. "But if I am not mistaken, Raven is only needed to retrieve one of these items?"

"Technically, but someone suggested that I go see Ra's as well." Raven says over the rim of her cup.

"We just need a single hair?" Nightwing asks for confirmation, getting a nod from Zatanna and Fate. "Ra's will withdraw if he senses anything extra-human or supernatural, and he is good at telling what is what. If you get the claw, I will get the hair. It is after all just a few dozen ninja's."

"Don't do it alone." Raven says.

"I'm not planning on it." Richard says with a smirk. "I can get Katana, Bushido and maybe Huntress and Manhunter, if Oracle allows it."

"Take Tim along." Bruce says, startling a few of them.

"If you say so." Nightwing says, although Raven could see he didn't like the idea.

"You have an oracle?" Philipus asks.

"Not one like yours, but she is very good with information." Nightwing says. "But if that is settled, when will you be ready for your part?"

"I suggest we get at least one night's worth of sleep and rest, I have no idea if there is anything edible down there." Raven replies.

"Well, you at least need that single night." Zatanna says.

"Will you be staying here Miss Raven?" Alfred asks.

"I think we have some additional planning to do before we leave." Zatanna continues, getting a nod from the others.

"Very well, do come back in on piece." Alfred says giving them a small smile, while Jason picks out the feather from the jar before he hands it back to Nightwing.

"Well, shall we get this over with?" Raven asks.

"You want to go now?" Richard asks letting a little concern leak into his voice.

"We better get this done sooner than later." Raven shrugs.

"Ok, good luck then." Nightwing says as the others begin moving closer to Fate.

"You too." Raven replies before they all disappear in Fate's ankh.

_Salem, the Tower of Fate;_

"Jinx?" Raven asks in surprise as they enter Fate's library, finding the pink headed sorceress waiting for them in one of the chairs. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey Rae, some guy in a blue trench coat told me to come here, after asking around, people seemed to think it was a good idea. What's up?" She explains while getting up.

"Sister is that you're…" Philipus starts, noticing the skin.

"We aren't related." Raven cuts her off. "Did this guy wear a hat?" She gets a nod. "Guess, saying no would be bad. Anyways we are literally going to hell after a dragon."

"Cool, when do we leave?" Jinx asks as if Raven had just suggested a trip to the shopping mall.

"Tomorrow, plans must be made before we leave." Fate says. "You are welcome to join us." He continues as he sees there are greater things at work.

"Does Bart know about this?" Raven asks.

"Of course, he dropped me off." Jinx replies. "He thought it was kinda cool I got a part to play. So does all of this have a name?"

"Names have power in magic; perhaps naming this gathering would be advisable." Jason adds as they sit down. "But perhaps we should save that till we know what to do." He continues and the others agree.

* * *

**Authors Notes: **To xCocoREEMx: Everything is possible later on, Ra's is known for hiding such things until they are ready.


	25. The Eigth Pit

In a land scorched by fire, where the sky is dark, lit only by the fire burning beneath it in the lakes and streams of lava, there stands a pile of burnt out ruins of what may once have been a church on a rocky crag overlooking a sea of flames. Inside this structure the black silhouette of a bird rises from the ground, spreading its wings wide before shrinking back to its owner and her travel companions.

"Charming." Zatanna notes at the surroundings.

"You expected green fields and dandelions?" Jinx asks sarcastically. "What is this place anyway?"

"I suspect Trigon made this in memory of how his followers lured my mother in." Raven replies. "By extension, this was where I was conceived."

"So where do we go now?" Philipus asks.

"Outside for starters." Raven replies before walking towards the exit, one of the double doors fall over as she pushes against it. "Wonderful."

"You know, I always thought I would end up in a place like this?" Jinx notes at the barren plain before them. "Do you hear that?" She asks as a rumble begins in the distance.

"What is that?" Zatanna asks as she also picks up the sound. "An earthquake or a volcano?"

"Battle formations." Raven replies flatly as she pulls her hood and boots off. "Jason, I think it's time we change." She says over her shoulder before she transforms into her winged and horned shape, Philipus backs into the church with Jinx at the sight while Etrigan emerges as well. "A kindly old wizard decided to turn me into this a few days ago, it's not pretty, but the things down here respect it." Raven explains.

"As do I." Etrigan confirms as he emerges fully. "Fear not, I seek not harm you, this time." He says noticing Jinx and Philipus' expressions but smirks at them.

"And I thought I was the freakiest of your friends." Jinx adds.

"You still are, you have pink hair after all." Raven replies with a smirk.

"Hey!" Jinx pouts, slightly offended while Zatanna and Fate are gazing out over the wasteland.

"Hmm, nothing is coming this way." Fate notes as nothing is moving. "Where shall we go?" He asks as he turns towards Raven.

"Towards the demons I guess, they should be able to point us in the right direction." She replies, last time she was here she appeared in the middle of a troop of the fire demons Trigon brought with him to Earth.

"You don't know?" Zatanna asks, slightly in disbelief.

"Only been here twice and only for a few hours at most." Raven explains. "And the first time I was pretty much stuck here." She continues as she tests her wings, getting ready for takeoff, the other non-flyers step onto Fate's yellow disk before they take off.

"So are you like Raven?" Philipus asks Etrigan, who is taking up half the space.

"Nay, I and Jason Blood are separate beings, much to our mutual dislike." Etrigan grumbles.

"His name is Etrigan by the way." Raven adds from up ahead. "Fate, do you see anything?"

"No, but I sense a large gathering of demons up ahead, behind those hills." The man says while pointing at the terrain features in the distance.

"I see a welcome wagon." Philipus notes as what seems like a cloud rises from behind the hills and moves towards them.

"Better get ready if they don't recognize me." Raven cautions as she draws her sword, igniting her form, it was the only thing she had brought with her after being cautioned against bringing a god-forged armor, the sword could go because of Apollyon's presence.

As they close with the swarm, they can see that it consists of muscular brutes, all with the hallmarks of Trigon, red skin and four eyes. Like Raven they all have large bat-like wings that keep them afloat, they make an awful racket as they come closer with their screeches, growls and roars.

"Am I the only one who thinks we should be on the ground for this?" Jinx asks, letting her nervousness show in her voice.

"Nonsense, this is perfect." Etrigan says while licking his lips in anticipation of the prospect of the coming violence.

"CEASE!" Raven bellows suddenly, the leading members of the swarm suddenly take on almost frightened expressions before the bank to get out of the way of the group. "Keep going, they will follow." Raven says to the others, noticing Etrigan growing disappointed. "You will get your chance." She continues as they enter the swarm that changes course to trail behind them.

"I would relish the chance to test myself against them." Etrigan says as he eyes the brutes flying next to him.

"As we would relish tearing you apart!" The nearest one hisses.

"You there, enlighten me, where is the main fortress?" Raven asks, pointing out the one glaring at Etrigan.

"My Queen, the grand citadel was destroyed after the fall of the Master." The demon replies without daring to look at her.

"Take us there." Raven replies, getting an unseen nod from the demon as it turn to head in another direction. "The rest of you, scatter; tell all forces you find to amass at the citadel ruins!" The order is acted upon immediately and the swarm spreads, leaving them to follow the lone demon.

"That seemed easy enough for you?" Jinx notes.

"Think I may be leeching off Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and Batman." Raven agrees, it wasn't like her to issue orders that firmly with a calm mind.

"I think that kind of charisma is what these things respect." Zatanna notes.

"Nay, tis the threat of annihilation that cow them." Etrigan chips in.

"Why do I have the feeling you know something about me; something that I don't?" Raven asks as she looks back at him.

"Perhaps." Etrigan smirks but says no more.

"We should coax the information from him, your highness." The demon says from up front, emitting a growl as stream of fire races over its head.

"Watch your tongue minion!" Etrigan growls.

"Charming pair." Zatanna notes to Fate.

"Quite, although I worry about Etrigans possible knowledge." The man replies.

"You aren't the only one." Raven says from up front as they leave the hills behind, giving way for a new scorched plain with mountains in the distance crowned by storm clouds.

_The Batcave:_

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice." Nightwing says to the people gathered in the Bat-cave, all having been teleported in. "You all know of the Founders current predicament?" He gets a host of silent nods.

"Ok, the good news is that a magical spell has been found to get them back, but don't let that pass on yet." He continues. "The problem is that several of the ingredients needed are hard to come by. Raven has secured the most difficult one, but two are still missing. This is where we come in, one of them is a hair from an ageless mortal, meaning a person who ages naturally but is hundreds of years old. I know of such a man, problem is that he is not friendly."

"So you want us to help shave him, who is it?" Huntress asks, internally feeling slightly humbled by being allowed into the Bat-cave.

She and Bruce share an uneasy relationship due to her methods and willingness to take lives if necessary, unknown to the majority of the League, she once actively hunted down the Sicilian mob responsible for the murder of her parents, stopping only at the last member, Madragora. She is however friendly with both Tim and Richard.

"Ra's al Ghul." Nightwing replies flatly as the image of the man appears over the center of the table. "Since I don't know how much you know about him Bushido, I will recap. This guy has lived for centuries due to Lazarus Pits, that heals and revives injuries and recently dead. He is an eco-terrorist, it is his firm belief mankind is slowly destroying the planet and he has on numerous times attempted to cull humanity's numbers with bombs, plagues and the like. And if he is spooked, he will have a deterrent ready, far from his actual location."

"Also he is the leader of the League of Assassins, highly skilled ninja's." Katana says having fought them before on several occasions.

"And we will have to fight them to get to Ra's." Nightwing continues. "I am asking for volunteers for this, because it is with our lives at stake and I know not all of you are as fond of the League as others."

"Question, what happens if we end up more than just harming them?" Huntress asks.

"Robin and I will not take any life, what you do is up to you, but I want everyone who is coming to be coming back breathing." Nightwing replies.

"This is not going to be League sanctioned." Katana says matter-of-factly.

"No, the League knows we are going to talk to Ra's and that is all." Nightwing replies. "So who is in?"

"I am!" Tim almost shouts in enthusiasm.

"I am honor bound to this." Bushido says as expected, Nightwing having mentioned Raven wanted him for this.

"As am I." Katana says, years ago, Batman had saved her from another ninja while she was still a novice, something she still felt she owed him for.

"I don't know, this is a bit out of my usual league." Huntress sighs. "I deal with thugs and mobsters, not ninja strongholds."

"Actually you have, several members of his League have been working as either hitmen or bodyguards to some of the mobsters you have been after." Nightwing adds as he slides a folder across the table to her. "Usually one of the reasons why the main men escape you."

"Hmm, then I guess I owe them for getting in the way." Huntress growls as she begins browsing the folder, containing both the names, photos and a note on when Huntress has run into them. "So where is he hiding?"

"The mountains of the Sinai Peninsula." Nightwing smirks as he brings up a map of the region, happy to have the ranged support.

_The Eigth Pit:_

"I guess this place used to be a lot bigger." Philipus notes at the surroundings; a tumbled down fortress of red-brown stones that could house a city on the inside it's outer wall, it's been built on the slopes of a mountain. While it obviously once had spires only the two lowest levels appear remain now.

"Wouldn't know." Raven replies as she looks around. "Not that it matters."

"So the rumors are true, the Gem has returned." A deep voice is heard before a large humanoid steps into view. It is one of the Emissary's kin, only visible difference is that his staff is crowned by a silver sphere rather than a fanged skull. The demon emerges from a darkened doorway leading into what was once the central keep by a flight of stairs. "And she has brought serfs." He chuckles as he regards the others.

"They are my advisors." Raven replies flatly, they had gone over this part in the tower and come up with this as a suitable foil till she had established herself. "Who are you?"

"I served as your father's archivist." The demon replies while meeting Raven's gaze, a first since they arrived.

"You must have been forgotten." Raven replies bluntly paying no heed to the difference in size between them, the demon just narrows his eyes at her. "Apollyon claims you are the weakest of his three brothers."

"In body perhaps… how do you know of my lost sibling?" He asks, Raven just draws her sword from her back, the demon is clearly stunned as it recognizes the face appearing in the blade. "It cannot be…"

"It can, brother. Show that wisdom you always claimed to possess, kneel before your ruler before you anger her." Apollyon says from his metal prison, the demon before her seem to change its disposition instantly and quickly lowers its head and kneels before her.

"Forgive me your highness, I meant no offense."

"It matters not." Raven replies flatly as something seems to catch her attention. "Ah, good point." She says to no one. "You served as Trigon's archivist, perhaps you know what several others seem to know about me, that I don't."

"I do your highness; the coronation."

"The what?" Raven asks.

"You mean Rae gets a crown?" Jinx interrupts, the huge demon just stares at her as if deciding whenever to ignore her or attack her.

"Harm her and you will suffer for it." Raven warns, drawing his attention back to her, meaning he returns to stare at the ground. "Answer the question."

"Yes, you must take up your father's crown. The ceremony will reveal your true potential." He says.

"You are neglecting something." Raven rumbles.

"The ceremony has a price, yes, an insignificant part of you; your humanity." He says as he looks up.

"Unacceptable." Raven's statement seems to surprise the demon.

"Your highness…."

"I will not trade a part of myself for power!" Raven says while eyeing him. "Hmm, as your brother says, you fail to see past the surface." She continues before changing back to her human form. "Look at me." She growls, getting him to look up. "What do you see?" The demon stares at her for a long minute, before lowering its head.

"The seed has been cowed… the line of Trigon, is dead." He says with a heavy hint of sentimentality. "Long live the Queen!" He gets up and roars to the skies. "What is thy command human?" He asks.

"_That was unexpected."_ Shayera notes in the sudden change.

"_He always was easily humbled."_ Apollyon adds, much to the surprise of the others.

"_You can talk to us?"_ Diana asks.

"_Obviously, I merely chose not to, Champion of my murderers."_ The demon replies.

"We want the corpse of a dragon, rumored to be hidden inside the citadel of the succubi, I have already tasked the winged ones to seek out all forces and have them come here." Raven replies. "Till then, enlighten us about their stronghold and what forces we will have available."

"Of course, follow me." The Archivist says before turning towards the door he emerged from. "Make way for the Queen!" He bellows as he enters, as the others follow behind him.

Unnoticed by them, a tall figure follows' them with her four eyes from the darkness of another doorway, the owner is confused, the words it heard was breaking into it, it must know what happened!

"This is a big library." Jinx says as she looks around the candle lit room.

"Stating the obvious?" Zatanna counters, as everything inside the huge room is made for beings of the Archivist's size, making them all feel small.

"I see some very dangerous tomes." Fate notes as he browses the books.

"Here, the cartography section." The Archivist says pointing at a lone bookrack. "And the map of Inferno." He continues as he retrieves a scroll from it before bringing it over to a circular table, which leaves most of the group staring into the planks due to the height. Fate hums something inaudible and the table legs lower's in response, so that it is suitable for them.

The map has been browned with age, but is still clearly showing the depictions that seem to move slightly on their own. The center of the map outlines the Greater Hell as a vast floating island sectioned off into regions, in its center is a dark spire named Pandemonium. The Lesser Hell's, as the map calls them, are depicted as smaller floating islands connected to the Greater Hell by chains or bridges.

The Eight Pit is depicted as being situated due east of Pandemonium, to the north is the frozen realm of Niffleheim and the Ice Citadel of Hel, to the south is a clouded region called Purgatory and to the west lies a realm called Duat. There are others, but to at least two of them the interest is the southeastern region, a floating rock called Tartarus. Slightly south of where Tartarus is tethered to the main island by chains is a small tower depicted with a name under it; Talazzarr.

"Talazzarr, where the temptresses dwell." The Archivist points out, with a clawed finger.

"Anything between us and there?" Zatanna asks.

"We know not, this realm destabilized after Trigon's fall, I suspect only the threat of unification through conflict deters the First Seated from attempting conquest. Only few seek battle outside our borders, Tharkmar the Bloodied is one such being, if fortunate, the Reavers may catch sight of him."

"Guess we have to wait till they get here." Raven sighs. "Do you know how divided this realm has become?"

"Many warlords have emerged, rallying their own supporters against each other. My brother assist's one such warband." The Archivist explains getting a nod from Raven, she had expected it, her father was not one to care for the possibility that he might one day be undone.

"Think I've met him." Raven says. "What of the Guardian?"

"He leads a large formation of Pyres. Your highness, if I may caution; by refusing to take up the crown, there will be some who will contest your authority even more so because of your present company." He says. In a dark corner four yellow eyes appear, unnoticed by all.

"I get Reavers are the guys with wings, but what is a Pyre and who are these people you keep talking about?" Jinx interrupts, feeling left out.

"Pyre's are the rank and file of our armies, they are numerous but not much else. The Guardian once guarded Trigon's treasure vault till he was passed by a mortal." The demon explains.

"Slade." Raven adds.

"The Emissary is my brother, alike in appearance, but while I store, he seeks to unify, Apollyon the Destroyer, the only of us to have a name outside of function, served as Trigon's personal champion and herald before he was lost."

"Till he decided to attempt topple Olympus with only Cerberus to help him." Raven adds again, as they are standing she has her back to a book rack, unnoticed by the group, the eyes have quietly moved from the corner to look down on Raven from the top of the book rack.

"Alas brother, you always were too confident." The Archivist lets on a small chuckle, getting a metallic grumble from the blade on Raven's back that sounds more like clattering.

"When can we expect the first arrivals?" Philipus asks.

"Depends, but a matter of hours should suffice."

"Have them gather outside the fortress, if any of them have a problem with me, let me know." Raven sighs, getting a nod from the Archivist. "Are you alone here?"

"No, there are others, but we only maintain a small garrison."

"Let them and everyone else know that, these are important to me, any harm that may befall them will have dire consequences. Is that understood?" Raven asks, meaning the group with her, getting another nod from the Archivist. "Good, pass it on." She continues to shoo him out of the door to do just that before shutting the door behind him.

"So, we just wait here?" Jinx asks.

"I doubt it is wise to walk alone in this place leisurely." Fate says as Raven browses one of the bookshelves before picking out a large book. "Those may not be safe to read." He mentions.

"Just a book." Raven shrugs before putting it down and opens it, almost instantly vile green slime bubbles out of the book in a hissing and foul foam, Raven looks at it in surprise for a second before slamming the book shut, oddly enough, the book returns immediately to its unassuming shape. "Ok, maybe I was wrong."

"Ok, what was in that book?" Zatanna asks, wondering what Raven found interesting about that one tome.

"I recognized the title as the same as the one I found Malchior in." Raven replies, looking a bit embarrassed.

"So any of you wanna go take a look around?" Jinx asks while feeling a bit amused by Raven's mishap.

"I'm up for it." Philipus ventures.

"Jason Blood also wishes to see more of this place." Etrigan grumbles revealing he didn't feel the same.

"Well, don't get lost and don't go alone." Zatanna says as the three exit by the door leaving her with Fate and Raven, who is returning the book to its place, still remaining undetected, the eyes disappear as well.

"Perhaps now would be a favorable time to practice your spell casting?" Fate asks.

"You know dark magic?" Raven asks.

"Think it's easier to ask what brands of magic he doesn't know." Zatanna notes with a smirk while Fate nods at Raven.

_Somewhere in the Sinai Mountains:_

"Can I ask why we are trying by the front door?" Huntress asks as the group disembarks the 'borrowed' Wayne Enterprises CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter that has touched down on the flat top on one of the mountains in the southern part of the Sinai peninsula.

"Because stealth here is pointless, this place will be crawling with scouts and cameras." Nightwing replies, they are all wearing thin black capes with hoods to shield them from the sun, it had been noted that Huntress might look like Batman from a distance if her hood was pulled over her face. "Beside, we want him to know we are coming."

"So how far are we from his base?" Katana asks.

"Two kilometers." Nightwing replies. "Better get going." He says before leading them on.

They walk in almost silence for 30 minutes, crawling down into the canyon where Nightwing told them Ra's base was at the other; as they walk they are mostly shaded by the rocks besides them, the area is still like an oven. They all have the feeling that they are being watched, but they neither hear nor see anyone or anything.

Which makes the sudden discovery all the more surprising; on a rock in the shade sits what they believe is a girl or young woman, dressing in mostly black armor and an equally black cloth mask that covers the top part of her head while letting her long white hair fall behind her, partially covering the two katanas strapped to her back. Nightwing's anger is squashed into a box when the girl notices them and swiftly turns her head, revealing her mask to be split into an orange half at the center. What has Nightwing's guts churning is that the mask is seemingly without an eye slit in the black half on her left, but a large white one clearly marking the place of the other, it brings back very unpleasant memories to him.

"Bout time someone showed up." The girl says as she gets up, the group just freezes. "What?"

"_Did the Demon's Head send you?"_ Richard asks in Arabic, the girl just remains motionless; he tries again in Mandarin Chinese, which most of the League of Assassin had to speak. This time the girl knocks her head twice and twists an imaginary knob before replying.

"Speak English, or am I going to have to make myself understandable?" She says with one hand reaching for a sword.

"What are you doing here? Who are you?" Richard asks quickly with barely masked hostility in his voice.

"Easy Butch, some clown in a blue coat and a hat asked me to wait here." The girl replies without lowering her hand. "Name's Ravager. Who are you people?"

"She might be an ally?" Tim whispers to Nightwing.

"Not with that mask." Richard whispers back before taking off his hood. "Do you remember me?"

"Never seen you before." The girl replies flatly, Nightwing nods, fits with the other brainwashed from Jump City.

"What is the connection between you and Slade Wilson?" He continues.

"Never heard of him." She replies. "You still haven't answered my question."

"You are wearing his colors." Nightwing replies flatly. "And I happen to have a great many issued regarding Slade 'Deathstroke' Wilson." The girl stares at him for a few seconds before lowering her hand, appearing a little more relaxed.

"Then we have something in common." She growls.

"Why wear his armor then?" Nightwing asks as he begins moving forwards. "And what has he done to you?"

"It is all I have." He replies as they draw closer, letting Richard lead the way. "As for what he has done; this!" She says as she tears her mask off, revealing the black half of her mask covering for an empty eye socket. "And I am his damn daughter!" She almost yells while pointing at her wound, Nightwing just stares at her.

"How?" He asks as his hostility evaporates, behind him Huntress just stares as well, the girl was barely old enough to be out of school, she could have been one of her pupils.

"I found him, the father I had never known, the father I had hoped to know. I had heard the tales my mother told me about him, about the life he led, and I wanted in. And he agreed to do it, but he did something, fed me something, I can't remember everything that happened, but I failed him at some point and he disowned me, said I was anything like him. I wasn't thinking straight at all and I took a knife…to prove to him that we were the same…" She says while looking down at the ground for a few seconds, before she fixes Nightwing with a stare. "What is your beef with him?"

"Ever hear of the Teen Titans?" Bushido asks, getting her to shift her stare.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **As someone asked, yes there are many more skilled martial artists around the DCU, but Nightwing needs to balance his team, it needs to be able to survive and at the same time not appear threatening, since Ra's would just leave or use one of his deterrents.

For those who are asking about characters that haven't appeared yet. There are some that might appear further down the road and others that might appear in spirit rather than in person.


	26. The Siege of Talazzarr

_The Eigth Pit:_

"Just some of the arrivals?" Wally asks as the group looks over the ramparts of the fortress, below them a huge assortment of creatures are milling about in a disordered thong.

"Only a few thousand." The Archivist notes offhandedly.

"Guess you don't subjugate a dimension without a sizable army." Raven shrugs.

"And how many are there, missing that is?" Shayera asks.

"Tens of millions, from my own humble expectations and calculations." The Archivist shrugs."Where once it may have been billions." Some of the Leaguers look at his surprised.

"Trigon turned whatever survived in his dimension into demons." Raven adds. "This is what remains of them."

"Only very few remain with any memory from that time." The Archivist adds, getting a stare from Raven that seems to cow him before she turns back to watch the mass. "There is one of them." He says as another contingent arrives, spearheaded by what looks like a spider of colossal size made of stone and molten lava. "Hexzakar."

"Seems there are more of those we saw at the start." Shayera mentions as she looks to the sky, spotting distant shapes flying in their direction, further down the slopes a dust cloud is moving towards them as well.

"No." Raven replies flatly. "Those are far bigger." It wasn't that Raven saw them any clearer than Shayera, but she could see their aura's.

"_Kent, are those what I think they are?" _Zatanna asks over their bond.

"_Greater demons? It appears to be the case." _Fate replies calmly

"The Trigonian Guard." The Archivist notes. "The Masters greatest body of soldiers."

"I think I know what that is." Philipus notes as to the other side of the mountain, opposite of the dust cloud, a field of fire seems to move towards them. "Pyre's right?"

"Looks like it." Raven says. "Any sign of Tharkmar?" She asks without turning.

"He leads the Guard." The Archevist replies as the eight flying shapes begin circling the fortress. "He will not bow to you."

"Yes he will." Raven replies flatly as one of them drops from its altitude, falling around a hundred meters before it flips around and spreads its wings and slams into the ground, breaking the stones in the courtyard around it.

Raven recognizes its kind, the same as the pair that escorted Cerberus and the Emissary, only much bigger. Around twice their height, making it five times that of a man, and with four snaking horns crowning its broad head, with two wicked looking axes and numerous skulls of various creatures hanging from its belt and bronze armor covering its body and upper legs.

"Tharkmar the Bloodied, your Highness." The Archivist introduces, as the immense creature rises to its full height while Raven slowly transforms into her winged shape.

"Quit your sniveling scroll keeper, this is no Queen of ours!" The beast replies with a voice like thunder as it regards Raven. "Bah, still tethered by humanity." It says before it spits on the ground before the groups feet, some of them watch the glob slowly eat its way into the stone.

"Someone needs to brush his teeth." Wally notes.

"He's going to remove it." Raven says, knowing a gauntlet when it was thrown, before launching herself into the air directly towards the towering monstrosity.

"Don't interfere, if she wins others will hesitate to challenge her." The Archivist says as he notices some of the others about to leap to her assistance.

"And if she doesn't." Zatanna asks.

"Then you had best prepare yourselves." He replies giving them a wicked smirk. "I already have my plans." Their attention is drawn back to the battle as Tharkmar howls in pain and is stumbling backwards, crashing into the main keep of the fortress before sitting down in the ruins.

"Say Uncle." Raven says as she flaps before the huge demon with the yellow streak of ichor crossing its face. The thing growls menacingly as it gets up and draws its axes, while Raven draws Shadowfury and bursts into flame.

"We meet again Tharkmar." Apollyon says from inside the blade in Raven's hand. "As we knew we would."

"And this time you will suffer!" Tharkmar growls before he launches a barrage of attacks against Raven, who is hard pressed to deflect and dodge the huge creatures swings and is forced back. From the ramparts the group begins to cheer her on.

"Push back Raven!" Diana yells, it is the only call Raven hears before feeling the wall pressing against her back. Raven ends up with straining with maintaining a shield with her left hand and with the sword in her right, to parry the two opposite aimed attacks.

"Perhaps you will serve well as my concubine?" Tharkmar leers at her, the only reply he gets is Ravens eyes turning red before a blast sends him flying back into the fortress. He is quickly back on his feet and is swooping towards Raven who is also moving towards though at a slower pace while her eyes blaze with power. Again he begins swinging at a blistering pace, the others watch as Raven with apparent ease dodges every attack. "Stand still vermin!" Tharkmar growls.

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea." Raven replies as she shifts tactics, instead of dodging every attack, she shifts to moving into positions where she lands open palmed strikes against the flat heads of the axes that cleaves the air around her. The force of the strikes throws Tharkmar out of rhythm and off balance.

"She is playing with him." Diana realizes in time for a crunching sound to be heard swiftly followed by a pained growl as Raven had brought the pommel of Shadowfury down on Tharkmar's huge nose.

"She is reading his movements." Batman agrees as Tharkmar has again stumbled back while Raven lands on the ground. The distance between them leaves room for Tharkmar to lash out at Raven with his right handed weapon. Some of the spectators barely see it move before it is caught in a black aura, the edge mere centimeters from Raven's neck, while she had not moved at all.

Tharkmar seems part surprised and part worried as he pulls at the weapon to him, finding it stuck in place with Raven sheathes Shadowfury."I will take that." She says as black lightning races up through the weapon and into his arm, causing him to let go, growling in pain.

He is caught completely off guard as Raven flips the axe around and attacks, swinging the back of huge weapon's head with two hands into Thrakmars upper knee with another crunch that has him collapse on the ground.

Even when down, he parries several attacks with his remaining weapon before it is swept out of his hand. "You just say when you have had enough." Raven says before she begins beating away at the wounded creature with the butt of his own weapon. Giving up shielding his wounded leg, Tharkmar resorts to deflecting some of the attacks with his arms. But it is over, as everyone else knows it is, but he endures several minutes of lightning fast strikes against him before Raven gets past his guard and strikes his head, causing him to collapse on the ground.

Raven drops the bent-out-of-shape axe on the ground and levitates the limp Tharkmar into high into the air before flying over the ramparts, holding herself next to Thrakmars head. She doesn't say anything, but the creatures below seem to understand the message as they all seem to lower themselves to the ground. Seemingly pleased with the result, she drops the huge creature, letting it fall to the ground before the walls of the fortress.

"I have what we need." Raven announces as she lands before the others. "He will recover in time for when we leave in an hour or so. Archivist, send word into the fortress that it is coming as well." The demon bows before retreating.

"Read its mind?" Diana asks.

"Yeah, made it easier to predict its attacks." Raven replies.

"So how do we get there? Walk?" Philipus asks.

"Of course not." Raven dismisses. "We ride."

"On what?" Raven seems to gauge Philipus for a second before replying.

"You seem like you can handle one." Raven says.

"A what?"

"Those." Raven points out to the still distant cloud of dust. "Anyone else of sound body wants a single ride?"

"What's the alternative?" Jinx asks.

"Walking or flying under your own power of course or you join me on that." Raven replies before pointing at Hexzakar that has settled down on the edge of the gathering, while the smaller demons pass under it.

30 minutes later, the able bodied people who decided to have their own rides, which was everyone save Jinx, are looking at an assortment of demon-beasts. Etrigan had already chosen the biggest of the lot, a huge black iron-skinned beast that seemed more like a mechanical rhinoceros than a living creature.

"Well, it's not a steed of Themyscira." Philipus says as she looks at the creature in front of her. "But I think I'll take it." She adds, her selection is a dog-like creature, the size of a horse with dark green scales covering the top side of its back, head and tail, leaving the red skin visible further down. Probably its most distinctive feature is the spiked tail and the neck frill that is currently folded back.

"Maybe not, but I can almost guarantee it can run faster." Raven replies.

"I shall provide my own means of transportation." Fate says.

"Got anything that doesn't look like it would eat me if I fell off?" Zatanna asks.

"Doubt it." Raven shrugs. "Hmm hold up, I think I may have something that looks a bit more ordinary." Raven says before disappearing for a few moments. As she reappears, she opens a portal next to her and out steps a huge male lion, who's only indication of its unnatural origin is the glowing red eyes and darkened fur coat, the big cat sits down in front of Zatanna proving to be as tall as her when seated.

"And this won't eat me?" Zatanna asks without moving.

"Not unless I am allowed to." The lion replies calmly in a cultured, britsh-sounding, tone. "I am Numbra, pleasure to meet your acquaintance miss…?"

"Err… Zatanna." The magician replies, very off put by the lion.

"Seems like you are missing something?" Jinx notes at the lions features.

"He's not from the Pit originally." Raven mentions knowing the others having noticed that just about everything had four eyes down here.

"Indeed, my original habitat became extinct and merged with the Pit." Numbra explains. "But perhaps we shall talk more of it on the journey?"

"Guess you weren't one of the nice ones?" Zatanna asks.

"Of course not, I represented the death my believers feared lurking in the high grass." Numbra replies flatly. "But as you see, straws of grass are far between here."

"Uh-hu, well at least the trip won't be boring." Zatanna says, acknowledging her ride.

"We better go arrange our own transportation." Raven says before walking off with Jinx and the Founders in tow. The horde of demons slinking back and out of the way at their approach.

"Well you certainly seem to have their respect." Shayera notes.

"They are scared." Raven replies dryly. "Had I failed and survived fighting Tharkmar, I would have to fight all of them."

"So why the spider?" Jinx asks.

"I don't know how to grow to 90 feet, Hexzakar is the tallest creature here, will make me easily visible." Raven explains.

"Easy target." Batman mentions.

"This is a fight that will be decided by swords and magic, I don't have to worry about snipers. Anyways, if Merlin is as smart as I figure he is, the heaviest stuff will be directed at me."

"Sounds a bit hazardous?" Superman adds.

"From Tharkmar and the Seedmother, I learned that Talazzarr is very much just a city-sized brothel, not a true fortress. Most down here tends to leave it alone because they enjoy the services it occationally provides them. Besides Hexzakar didn't survive for this long by being a pushover." Raven replies giving them a slight smirk of confidence. "By the way, when we cross into the Greater Hell, I will have to change my attitude so I don't appear too..."

"Humanized?" Wally finishes for her.

"Exactly. For the time being I am planning on letting it appear as if I have taken up permanent residence here, which will either distract Neron from or make him think twice about attacking in retaliation. So just so you know, I will not be nice while acting like that, I have been trying to make that work on the Archivist."

"Were you ever nice?" Jinx asks in a teasing tone.

"That, my dear Jinx would land you in a world of hurt outside of here." Raven replies with a smirk. "After you." She says as two huge rocky legs dig into the ground before them, forming a sloping ramp up to the top of Hexzakars body. "Diana, I may ask permission to use your tactical experience, these creatures are not disciplined."

"And I will help you." Diane replies cheerfully, she is actually quite excited about the whole thing. The two begin discussing how to organize the horde beneath them that silently begins adopting the new formations.

It takes them a good five minutes to scale the huge creature's legs, finding the stone skin of the creature like that of a volcanic crater with numerous cracks, holes and odd rock like formations.

"So where will Fate and the others be when we get there?" J'onn asks.

"Preferably I will have them close to me, Etrigan I have a plan for." Raven says. "Speak of the devil." She says as a Reaver swoops down from above, carrying a pole with a banner wrapped around it, going down on one knee before offering it Raven. She touches it once and her eyes glow and her powers sink into the item. Without a word spoken between them, the Reaver leaps back into the air.

"What was that about?" Shayera asks.

"Personal banner. The Reaver will be asking Etrigan if he will carry it, since the Emissary is not here. When we get there, he and a few others will knock on the door and ask if they will hand over Malchior willingly, which has the odds of finding snow in here." Raven explains. "Let's get this show on the road?"

Slowly at first but gaining speed, the now ordered, legions of demons begin their march. The mounted companies with Zatanna, Etrigan and Philipus in the lead, the other riders are the same breed as the guards who brought in the Seedmother, who Raven had begun calling Fiends. Behind them come the foot soldiers, mainly Pyre's but with a few regiments of un-mounted Fiends. Hexzakar walks over them all, the great area between her eight legs leaves room for the army to pass under her. Behind the spider, the more unique beasts follow. Some look like trunk-less elephants, only larger and obviously carnivorous. Others appear to be large six legged black panther's with oily skin. Most fail to qualify for a comparable description. Above them the sky becomes filled with Reavers that take off from the surrounding landscape.

"What about that one?" Shayera asks, pointing out Tharkmar is still lying unmoving on the ground.

"He will know where we are going and catch up if he wakes up in time." Raven shrugs as what appears to be several fireballs at first, shoot up from the fortress courtyard, as they pass over, they are revealed to be burning chariots, each carrying two passengers. The Archivist in the lead with a female similar to the Seedmother riding with him.

Picking up speed, the army descends from the mountain slopes and onto the vast plains. Once they are clear of the mountains, Raven orders it to pick up speed, the horde does so and they travel at the speed of a running dog. Heading towards a line of distant light, they are met halfway by another army, consisting mostly of Pyres but also of a few new creatures, like the seven large growling cannon shaped beasts that are herded along by their fellows. As they watch, one Pyre is caught in front one of them and promptly swallowed by getting sucked into the barrel. Also the army adds more Reavers and several smaller versions of Thrakmar's breed. Raven recognized the leaders of this army, the Guardian and the Emissary who both go down on one knee when they meet her. The Guardian is assigned to ride one of the elephant creatures as he as the only member of the host that could not move as fast as desired; the Emissary is picked up by one of the chariots.

After assimilating the army, they continue for what seems like hours before reaching the light, a wide river of lava; the Phlegethon. Marching along the shores for some time they eventually come to the only passage across, a bridge made completely out of bones and paved with skulls that moan and complain at their passing. Diana mentions that Raven was asleep when they passed under it while riding in Charon's ferry. Raven replies that Phlegethon is actually the border between the Pit and the Greater Hell, but that the Pits' inhabitants control the both sides most of the time. After they cross over, Raven has Philipus, Fate and Zatanna fall back to ride just in front of Hexzakar, she didn't want to risk a stray pack of demons taking a a sudden swipe at them.

Several hours later they pass over a ridge and see it; Talazzarr. A huge black tower surrounded by a host of smaller towers and lined on the outside by a huge wall, with a single gate facing them. Everything from this distance seems to be either spikes or covered in them. Fate explains this has to do with the nature of the inhabitants of the tower.

As the army takes up the positions Raven has dictated, she turns to face the ghostly Leaguers and Fate who has joined them.

"Well, this is it. If you want me to, I will pull back. If not, many demons will perish today." She says.

"Raven, this is your choice, we will deal with what comes after." Superman says. "Besides, these aren't human." The other nod in agreement, it had been one of the things Batman had been reading up on; Raven's extensive knowledge of demons.

"A word of caution." Fate says. "These are experts of mind magic's, do not trust anything you see here."

"I will keep that in mind, I guess you have told the others?" Raven says getting a nod from the mage. "Good, I am sending Etrigan in now." She says as she turns to watch five figures ride forwards, with Etrigan in the lead carrying the unfurled banner he was given, a tall piece of cloth depicting the silhouette of Raven's Soul-Self with a single half open purple eye in its center radiating eight yellow arrows. The riders stop a few dozen meters from the closed gates.

"HEED THE WORD OF ETRIGAN, SON OF BELIAL!" The yellow demon bellows. "THE RULER OF THE EIGTH PIT DESIRES THE DRAGONS CORPSE! YIELD IT AND YOU SHALL BE SPARED!" A deep grinding laughter greets Etrigan and the army.

"Once again you amuse me fool brother! But I shall give you the option of leaving my lands without undue bother; for I, Myrrdin, shall not give up my prize!" The grinding voice says, seemingly coming from the tower itself. "Least of all to some half-breed witch."

"Thy fate is sealed then, brother." Etrigan shrugs before turning his mount and rides back.

"Raven?" Batman asks as Raven has yet to issue an order after Etrigan has returned.

"Sorry, this will just go against everything I was taught as a child." She sighs. "Violence is never the answer, alas here it is unavoidable." She replies with a hint of sadness. "FIRE!" She yells, almost as one, the demonic cannons launch screaming blue projectiles at the fortress. "Focus on the gate! Hexzakar!" The huge creature beneath them slowly spreads its legs behind it, as it opens its huge mouth that proves to be like that of a snakes in its capability of expanding, revealing the insides to be as white hot as the sun. The creature shakes slightly before a huge ball of flame is added to the barrage.

The projectiles impact with the gate and the surrounding wall, covering it in dust. "Again." Raven commands and Hexzakar brings another ball of flame to bear, followed by the cannons this time an audible crunch is head from the wall. "Cannon's, pick a part of the wall and bring it down, Hexzakar, begin bombarding the city beyond the wall. Guardian, break the door down! Pyre's follow him!"

A deep roar is heard as the Guardian has his beast form a solid wedge with two other similar creatures before they charge across the open grounds, followed by the pyre's.

"What about us?!" Philipus yells, clearly impatient to have something to do.

"Wait for it." Raven says calmly as the beasts cross the half way mark, as if on cue Talazzar's walls come alive in a volley of flaming arrows that impales many of the Pyre's, returning them to ash, but the beasts and the Guardian shrugs the projectiles off like water. "Reavers, scour the ramparts!" Raven yells, from behind the artillery rises a screaming cloud of creatures that fly across the skies to get to their targets, who quickly have more pressing targets to engage than the Pyres below them.

A deep crushing sound is heard as the Guardian completes his charge and crashes through the thick wooden gate swiftly followed by the Pyres. As they enter a horn is blow somewhere to their right, as they look for the source, they spot a large contingent of black armored knights with tall lances approaching their flank.

"Etrigan, take them head on. Philipus lead the other hound riders around them." Raven orders, Philipus smirks and rides under Hexzakar and behind him, followed by the others with similar mounts. Etrigan roars before planting the banner in the ground and waving the remains of the cavalry around him forwards. The distant knights also lower their lances and begins their charge.

At the fifth barrage from the cannons, a section of the wall collapses. "Fiends, get through that!" Raven yells, the red skinned demons obey and march swiftly towards the breach, followed closely by the remaining monsters.

"We have incoming!" Jinx yells before unleashing her magic against the sky, where a swarm of gangly creature's race towards them born on skeletal bat wings, those it hits are subsequently suffering from a stroke of bad luck where they collide with one another before falling to the ground.

"I was starting to think we would be sidelined." Shayera says, carefully extending her hands in front of her. "How did this work again?" She says right before two pure white bolts of energy race out from her, incinerating several assailants it passes through. "Oh."

"Neat!" Wally says enthusiastically as he unconsciously forms two glowing balls of energy in his hands. "Whoa!" He says as he notices it before throwing them at the group.

"League, cover fire!" Batman yells as he forms smaller versions of the energy balls Wally had before throwing them.

"Kinda small, aren't they?" Wally notes at them.

"Wait for it." Batman says calmly as his projectiles seem to part, taking down more of the fiends.

Superman sticks to what he knows and fires white beams from his eyes, as does John who fires single beams from his clenched fist. Diana, feeling inspired, hurls what looks like bolts of lightning in the manner of Zeus. J'onn remains motionless as several small glowing balls form around him, they shrink and pulse rapidly before they all fire.

Raven, Fate, Zatanna and Jinx all add to the barrage of magical attack, as does several of the chariot riding demon mages. All it takes is a few moments and the skies are once again theirs. As they confirm the last assailants to be gone, a crash of steel and the screams of battle are heard from the right. As they turn they see several of the fiends following Etrigan getting impaled on the lances of the knights carrying them clear of their saddles.

While Etrigans riders are vastly outnumbered, their mounts are much heavier than their opponents and several deep wedges are smashed into the ranks of the knights and brutal close combat ensures. As they watch, they can see Etrigan leap around inside the knights tearing them apart. The fight continues for several moments before the superior number of the knights begins to tell and Etrigan's riders are surrounded.

"FOR ATHENA! FOR THEMYSCIRA!" A woman yells before the spectators see Philipus' lighting race from her towards the back of the knights. The woman comes riding with the others behind her at an incredible pace that only allows her to fire a second round of lighting before the dogs leap into the fray, taking several knights and their horses to the ground, a single hound impaling itself on a lance.

"It is time; let's go see if we can find a dragon." Raven says calmly transforming into her winged shape, now that the panic and confusion is spreading through the ranks of the knights. "Lend me your arms Jinx." The pink headed sorceress does without question and is hoisted into the air.

Behind them, Fate and the League follow as does Zatanna on the ground, still mounted on Numbra. Landing half way between the artillery and the fortress, Raven orders the shelling to cease with a hand gesture before walking the rest of the way, being met by Etrigan and Philipus along the way, Philipus sitting behind Etrigan on one of the metal beasts.

"Well you two look happy." Zatanna notes at the two as she gets off Numbra.

"We don't have the luxury of mass cavalry charges on Themyscira." Philipus says as she jumps off, Raven can feel she is ecstatic. "Thanks for the ride."

"It would be an honor." Etrigan replies with a smirk.

"Remember what I said." Fate cautions as they cross the shattered gates and enters Talazarr, finding the paved road covered in a thin layer of gravely ash.

"Is that…?" Superman asks at a pink shoulder poking out of a pile of rubble.

"senotS enogeb." Zatanna says and the rocks fly off to the side revealing the body beneath. Raven wonders for a moment if the succubus is related to Tala before dismissing it, thought the demon looks almost exactly like Tala in her true shape. But it's hard to tell since its face and most of its head had been crushed.

"Ew…" Wally says.

"Yes, the succubi are revolting creatures, practically inedible." Numbra says, getting a few looks that he ignores.

"And Tala is one of these?" J'onn asks.

"This is her city." Raven replies. "She just has more fun in our world apparently, and yes, her image of herself in her mind is like that one."

"Succubi and incubi read minds and shape themselves to reflect the object of desire of their prey." Fate says.

"Possibly we will see this demonstrated before this is over." Raven says. "Let's continue."

They continue their walk, finding more dead inhabitants and a few Fiends along the way, but the sounds of struggle and inhuman screams are never far off. At a point, they have to form a single line as they have to pass a narrow corridor, halfway blocked by fallen masonry, forcing Etrigan to dismount.

"Question, since we are in Hell, aren't there supposed to be, I don't know, damned souls down here?" Wally asks as they group up again.

"You don't want to know." Raven says.

"Actually I do." The speedster says confidently. Raven summons a large black square stone.

"Some end up like various holy scriptures say, in eternal torment, like in Tartarus. Some end up here for the amusement of the inhabitants. And those really unfortunate, become this." She says as she lets the stone glide over to Wally.

"A rock?" He asks looking at it.

"Help me…." A small but pained voice emits from the stone as an anguished face plays over the stone.

"Yikes!" Wally says and jumps back and looks around himself as he realizes the entire city is made of these things.

"There are places where they have these things called Renderes, they take a soul and transmute it into any material they may need, this is what this entire city is made of." Raven sighs as she looks around at the structures around them, tossing the stone back to where she found it. This was also a reason she didn't want the League in her head right now, this place is making her skin crawl and she didn't want them to see this place like she is, it would just give them nightmares.

"_Zatanna…"_ A ghostly voice reaches the magician her as Raven talks, she turns around to look at the direction she heard it come from, spotting a tall male figure with a long coat and a top hat standing in the shadows of an alley.

While keeping in mind Fate's words, Zatanna walks slowly towards the figure who turns and walks further into the alley, drawing her in. _"Who are you?"_ Zatanna sends back as she follows a little quicker, there was something familiar about him.

"_Don't you recognize me Zee?"_ He says as he ducks into another alley between buildings. As Zatanna turns the corner, she finds him standing almost in front of her, the hat, the black coat, the mustache, it all fits into her memories.

"Dad?"


	27. Cruel Fate

"Where is Zatanna?" Fate asks, suddenly noticing the woman's absence. A scream is heard from one of the alleys.

"Down there!" Numbra says before running off, swiftly followed by the others. Finding Numbra cornering a man dressed like a stage magician trying to wave him off with a walking stick from a pile trash. Zatanna is curled up in ball leaning against one of the walls, muttering to herself.

"Zatanna?" Philipus asks as she puts a hand on the woman's shoulder.

"His eyes! it's not his eyes! There's something wrong with them!" Zatanna howls without looking at them.

"Easy Zatanna." Raven says as she takes away the woman's panic gradually, letting her slow her breathing. "Who is that?" She asks.

"It's not, it can't be." Zatanna says while she begins shaking.

"Her father." Batman whispers to Raven.

"I say, will you get this uncouth best away from me?" The man asks, is it when they look at him they know what Zatanna meant, his eyes are completely black.

"No need to be rude, I consider myself quite civilized." Numbra says before swiping at the man's legs, getting him to back up to the wall.

"Hmm, this is unusual, incubi only take forms meant to seduce." Fate says. "I know that that is not how Zatanna see's her father. Why have you taken his form?" Fate asks the false magician, letting a glowing orb surround his right hand.

"And drop the facade." Raven adds.

"Come now." Numbra ads as well. The creature sighs, before its features change to a male version of the succubi they had seen, only that he is only wearing a very small set of underwear, has curly blond hair and green eyes.

"I recognized the connection, between her and the man whose form I took." The incubus says while keeping himself plastered to the wall.

"You've met Giovanni Zatara?" Batman asks as Zatanna looks up.

"Oh, I see him quite frequently." The creature replies obviously enjoying the emotions on display.

"Where?!" Zatanna shouts as she gets to her feet and scrambles up the trash pile to grab the creatures hair. "Where is he?!" She demands as she twists her grip.

"Easy, I can take you to him." He winces.

"Hmm, he's speaking the truth." Raven notes, sensing no deceit from the creature.

"Really?" Zatanna asks, apparently ignoring Raven. "Well, lets get going then!" She says before pushing it down the trash pile.

"Follow me." The incubus says before heading back to the road they had abandoned, the living mages, besides Zatanna, making up the back group.

"Am I the only one who thinks this is a bit strange?" Jinx whispers.

"No." Philipus agrees.

"I fear Zatanna may risk having her heart re-broken." Fate whispers.

"The incubus seems almost happy about this, but if he is really down here?" Raven asks.

"Yes, she deserves that chance, but I fear for the results if it turns bad." Fate continues

They continue to cross the road they left and head down another alley and onto the road on the other side before turning to head down this road to enter a small park of black trees and bushes a little walk down towards the outer wall. On the way the incubus is almost jumped by a group of three pyres, but they are lead off by Raven, who can sense the unease grow in Zatanna, it practically evaporates when they enter a small clearing.

"No….No…It can't be…" Zatanna says in disbelief at the sight before her, in the center is a large super ellipse made of polished amber; inside is a man trapped standing as if he was caught in the blast of a fierce wind. It is the same the same man the incubus imitated; Giovanni Zatara. Zatanna slowly stumbles towards the prison before sinking to her knees before it. "No..." She sobs as she puts her hands on it. "It's not fair…it's not fair!" She screams before breaking down in tears, the others remain where they are.

However much Raven didn't think this would have come out well, getting her father back would have helped elevate the massive trauma Zatanna is already dealing with. Now she is resigned to lower her head and pull her hood further down. Her own thoughts distract her from the scene before her.

"Zee, I'm so sorry." Bruce says sincerely as he puts a hand on her shoulder, Zatanna almost throws herself at him, only to pass through his form and ends up on the ground where she curls up. Seeing this Raven is the first to react and promptly changes her shape into that of Batman's and steps up behind him.

"She needs you." She whispers to him, he only nods and disappears into her. Assuming control, he goes down on his knees and lets Zatanna lean on him; again she instantly clings to him.

"I will miss him too." Bruce says quietly, remembering the time when he was much younger and learned from Giovanni under another name and befriending his young daughter. The rest of the League, Fate, Jinx and Philipus respectfully keep quiet.

Behind them, the incubus quietly backs away getting a good few meters before he turns and promptly bumps into Etrigan, who is standing with his arms crossed over his broad chest. Between the incubus and the League, Numbra quietly walks out of the bushes.

"_And where be thee off to temptator?"_ Etrigan asks quietly in demonspeak, the incubus, unaware of the lion-demon behind him looks at Etrigan for a quick second before replying.

"_Come quick, we must inform your brother of the demon-witch's vulnerability!"_ It says. "_He will surely be able to lift the enchantment you must surely be under."_

"_Thy are truly uneducated."_ Etrigan scoffs. _"Who is responsible for the fate of the man?"_ He asks nodding at Giovanni.

"_Why, your fabled brother of course, rumor has it he was caught peeking at his lordship's private chambers."_ The demon whispers, looking sly. _"Now come, we must go."_

"_Fool, I have been promised my accursed brothers head for my part in this. Go and let him know that."_ The incubus looks at Etrigan in surprise for several seconds before its sprints out of the park, Etrigan waits for ten seconds. _"He's yours." _He says to Numbra who just licks his lips as his mane burst into flame.

"_You are too kind."_ He replies before running off in pursuit, Etrigan counts inwardly, reaching 17 before a muted roar followed by a scream that is abruptly cut off.

"Is… is there anything we can do?" Zatanna asks with a strained voice as Bruce helps her up after regaining herself.

"This is his body, there is little to be done I am afraid." Fate says.

"Could we get him out of that?" Jinx asks, Zatanna think over it for a few seconds before nodding.

"innavoiG arataZ, eb eerf." She says and the amber slowly begins to disappear, leaving the body to fall to the ground.

"I can store him till we get back." Raven says as Bruce exits her and she takes her own form.

"Wait, look." Philipus says as she notes a cloudy blue aura surround the body before it rises from the chest.

A voice rises from the aura. "Zatanna, is that you my child?"

"D… daddy?" Zatanna asks as fresh tears begin to form in her eyes as she slowly sits down in front of the mist. "Is… is it really you?"

"Ohh… I am afraid it is my child." The mist says with a heavy voice.

"But… why are you here?" Zatanna asks.

"My own foolishness, I'm afraid my dear. I am sorry I had to leave you when I did, but I had to. Through many events, I infiltrated this place to discover why its Mistress so effortlessly leaves this world. Alas, I met a power much greater than my own…"

"Myrrdin." Etrigan grumbles.

"Yes, that is his real name, the true ruler of Talazzarr." The ghost agrees.

"Why is he like that, when we are like this?" Shayera whispers to Fate.

"I am fortifying your forms." Raven replies, overhearing her.

"Raven, could you?" Zatanna asks as she also hears it.

"Of course." Raven says before walking over and lightly touches the mist with a blue glowing hand before retreating, the mist swirls for a few seconds before taking the image of the stately magician who looks down at his reformed ghostly body before getting up.

"Ah, a soulmage, very rare." He says recognizing the energy used before noticing the others. "Oh, how rude of me, Giovanni Zatara, at your service." He says before bowing at the group. "Kent I know of course, a pity we meet again under such circumstances." He continues as he notices Dr. Fate.

"Better than not meeting at all, old friend." Fate replies.

"And I see 'John Smith' had made something of himself." Giovanni continues as he sends a smirk at Batman. "Or perhaps they know you under a different name? But what is the meaning of your appearance?"

"Long story short, a guy called Lex Luthor got hold of the Spectre's powers and off'ed them, currently we are trying to put them back together." Jinx explains, inwardly Raven smirks, only she could have explained it that fast and crude.

"Ah, a mighty spell will be needed for such an event; I will wish you much luck with its casting when the time comes."

"But dad, you could come back as well!" Zatanna almost jumps into the air at the realization, Giovanni look at his child with a first surprised then the sad expression as he shakes his head at her.

"Alas I cannot leave this place." He sighs at her. "A living that ends their life in hell is doomed to remain regardless of deeds. I see your friend shelters many souls within her own, but my own presence would bind her to this place as well." He says noticing the water running down Zatanna's cheeks. "Cry not for me my child, I feel no pain and my life was full. And now an old man's wish has come true; a last opportunity to speak to you again before I leave, I doubt you can linger in this place before discovery." He says looking at the others.

"It is true, we cannot stay forever but…" Fate begins.

"You will have the time you want." Raven says before looking to the skies, one of the massive Trigonian Guards drop from the sky and lands admits the trees, knocking several over. It is not as big as Tharkmar, this one is only four times the height of a man and carries a mace on its back with a head resembling a large skull. It bows as Raven walks over to it. "She stays safe, she has the privacy she wants and you will provide transportation if she wishes it." Raven instructs.

"As you command." The huge demon replies without meeting her gaze before standing up and begins scanning the area for threats. Giovanni looks amazed at the exchange, but covers it up quickly as Raven turns to face him.

"If you want to, I can take your remains, so that you may have proper burial." The old mage smiles sadly at her.

"I would like that, at least so that my daughter may have a place to remember me at." He says, Raven nods and her cloak creeps forwards, expanding itself as it covers Giovanni's body for a second before retracting leaving nothing behind. "Now then, since I very much doubt we will meet again John Smith, I can only say that I still regret you did not pursue a career as a magician." He says as he walks over to shake Bruce's hand, something the spirits can do.

"I was an honor learning from you." Bruce replies. "But your teaching has been put to good use many times over."

"As I hoped it would." Giovanni replies with a knowing smile before turning to Fate. "Kent, give my love to your lovely wife when you see her again and I hope your own studies will prove successful."

"In time they will." Fate agrees.

"While I do not know you by name, I wish you luck in returning to the living and luck in life beyond." Goivanni says to the others, who merely nod at him. "Now Zee, we have much to talk about." He says as he turns to face his daughter, who nods at him.

"Go find us a place." She replies as the others begin filing out of the park, quickly she grabs onto Raven shoulder, halting the empath. "A quick word." She says quietly as Raven turns her head. "Should I tell him, about what's happened to me?" Raven turns away again before replying.

"Another time and place, I would have said no, but this may be the only chance you have. But I am not sure if you should." She sighs. "When you are ready, that one will bring you to the rest of us. We will be looking for the dragon." Zatanna just nods at her before turning back to see her father sitting patiently on a bench.

"I guess we are better off not knowing what you have been doing?" Shayera notes as Numbra rejoins them, emerging from an alley with his muzzle and fore paws covered in blood.

"Alas it's been too long since I've had incubus." The lion replies with an amused tone before licking his lips, Wally shudders at the images in his head.

"You look good with my hat." Giovanni notes with a slight smirk. "How is the magician business these days?"

"Oh, same as it was." Zatanna replies offhandedly, she is still debating on how to tell him. "Amuse the audience for five nights in a row before having to deal with hoodlums the two next."

"Well, that was how your mother and I lived, till you came along that is. So is it still with a veiled identity?"

"No, I chose to do this without a mask, unlike 'Mr. Smith'." Zatanna replies with a smirk. "And I proved to be the go-to person for matters magical in the Justice League, heard about them?"

"Oh I have, it's a brilliant, but dangerous idea to gather so much power under a single banner, no matter the intentions. So is Kent not a part of it?"

"He is, but he is less involved in it and has a habit of skipping dimensions without telling."

"Ah still does that." Giovanni replies with a smile remembering his own troubles with contacting Kent. "You spoke in past tense just before?" Zatanna smiles sadly, he always was that good with words.

"I've hit a rough patch lately." She admits. "Started with a mistake I made a several years ago; we had this girl asking for help showing up in the League's office in Metropolis, Bruce and I, along with three others received her. When she entered, I felt like standing in front of an oven, the readings I got from her were so evil and full of malice that I urged the others to subdue her before she had even spoken. She disappeared the instant the others moved, I held it up a proof of guilt. Later she reappeared in a city the League was banned from entering, Bruce's orders."

"His words seem to carry a lot of weight?" Giovanni replies.

"Oh, they do, there's just something about him that automatically makes everyone in the League defer to him, and that includes Superman and Wonder Woman. Anyways, I didn't understand why he ordered us to stay away, so I kept watch on her. I learned later that Bruce had the ban set up because of his break with his…adoptive son, who had moved to the same city, Bruce had met with the girl after the rest of us jumped her and sent her after him. Seven years later, and I still had nothing to throw at Bruce to lift the ban, on the contrary, she kept proving to be the opposite of what I thought she was, she was even believed dead for a year after fighting off a dragon. Two and a half months ago, a new face began terrorizing Gotham. Bruce sent me to find this thing since he had a strong reason to believe it had magical capabilities. Two days or so later, he called off the search for no real reason, but I continued looking. Eventually I found it overseeing a smuggling operation and I got caught off guard and was flattened by it. I believed it must have been controlling Bruce and those around him, because he visited me in the hospital and delivered 'the bat speech' to me, basically telling me I had that one coming. So I began entertaining the idea that he was being controlled to let a thing like that rampage across Gotham, so I called in the League. We caught it too, proved to be the same girl we chased off years ago, only she had grown. I was chastised, severely, because I had insisted on my theory… No that's not right, I lied to them, I told them I was certain that Bruce and the others were being controlled, basically I was using the League as a missile. I didn't want to admit I was wrong then, I was angry and I even went as far as picking a fight with her afterwards and threw the first punch." Zatanna pauses as she looks at the ground at the memory.

"But why did you?"

She takes a deep breath before answering. "I was scared of her. I guess it had become a rush to me that the League asked me for advice more often than Dr. Fate, that I was seen as the better magician. I was scared that she would replace me, mostly as the go-to mage for Bruce who has warmed to her faster than I've seen him do to anyone. Of course when I started a fight with a spell that could have killed her, the rest of the League found out why… and promptly handed me my walking papers. In the span of a few days, a simple search had me thrown from my own pedestal. You know how I am with my own image."

"I do." Giovanni admits, Zatanna is a perfectionist with it comes to her shows, her reputation and her looks, he feared sometimes that she was borderline obsessive. "How bad did it go?"

"Very, I was depressed, I cancelled shows out of fear of ridicule. I was sure that girl was telling everyone about my fall of grace and didn't want to face it if anyone in the crowd pointed it out. Worst of all, I… I began drinking." As she speaks the last part, she tries to shrink herself in hopes of easing the anger she is sure will come. She looks sideways as nothing comes from her father, looking up she sees his arm circling her back, but she can't feel it, he just shakes his head at her.

"When your mother passed away, I thought I had lost everything, she was my world. And I too felt the pull of the bottle, but there was one thing that kept me from it; you." He says with a warm smile. "I am a little disappointed in you, but as you know life is full of ups and downs, and if nothing else, losing your connection to the League was just a blow to your ego."

"No, I felt like I had lost Bruce's friendship, since he was the one that threw me out. It hurt him to do it, I could tell, but he does what is right when he is dressed up." She sighs. "It gets worse." Giovanni looks surprised and stops his circling arm. "The same nut that took control of the Spectre, he also had other plans; controlling or enslaving a large number of superheroes and criminals. In my drunken stupor, I didn't even fight them off when they came for me." She says before taking off the top hat and lifts her hair, revealing the still present chip. "All of us who were either too dangerous or too free-spirited got this and some kind of treatment that turned us into brainless zombies." She says, leaning back again. "I was barely aware, until recently, when I was on my feet during that time. When I had the clear memories brought back to me, I… I found out they had me kill, torture and..." She trails off while looking off into the darkness of the park. "…they raped me…"

"WHAT?!" Giovanni yells in fury, unintentionally causing Zatanna to crumble physically and emotionally. "WHO?! HOW COULD THEY?! HOW DARE THEY?!" He doesn't see it in his fury, but with each shout, Zatanna crumbles more and more feeling like it was all her own fault.

"I'm sorry daddy." She sobs as she pulls her knees up to her face and hides her face, Giovanni's next line of angry words are caught in his throat and promptly swallowed as he gets down on his knees in front of her.

"No, no, no Zee, it's not your fault, please don't cry anymore, I'm sorry for yelling." He says, getting her to look up and they meet eyes as she swallows trying to stop her own tears. "That's my girl." She coughs a chuckle and a sob at the same time at this, he always said that when she was little. "Now tell me, has this…"

"No, thank god, it didn't." She sighs heavily, it had been a small blessing to her. "I just have these images of people, doing…"

"Don't mention them." He cuts off. "Just tell me those animals are behind bars."

"They are." She continues. "It was her, that girl that led me there. It was her who helped me get out. I don't know how, but she ended up on the inside as well along with Wonder Woman, but she broke free and led the League to the rest of us. Unfortunately I can say I met her in my zombie state and she knows where to hit me."

"Well, she got you out, that's the most important part." He says encouragingly. "But who is this girl you have so far refused to name?"

"The one in the cloak." She replies, he raises an eyebrow.

"The soulmage?"

"Uh-hu." She nods, like she is gradually introducing a new friend from school. "Her name is Raven." Giovanni looks thoughtfully to the side.

"Raven… it is as if I have heard that name before? But could it be someone else?"

"Possibly, she's Trigons daughter, she's the one tearing up this place."

"That's Trigon's Gem?!" He asks out loud, more to himself than her. "She's got a bad prophecy waiting for her, Trigon is supposed to come to Earth through her." He says quickly.

"Already happened." Zatanna says quickly. "And yes, from what I have been told, she did bring him, but she also killed him and apparently also completely subdued the part of herself that was him. And now she is working more than anyone to restore the rest of the League." He looks at her for a few seconds before getting up and sits down next to her again.

"We received portents once that a time would come when Trigon the Terrible would walk the Earth, but it was many years ago, alas it was so vague that we couldn't properly prepare for it. And now I hear, it came true, but you must know. What is she like, if Trigon is gone?"

"I think Wonder Woman would be a better source to ask than me." Zatanna admits. "But from what I have seen, she is not anything like what I would have expected of a child of Trigon. The best way I can describe her is…muted, somehow. Like if she was to stand still, no one would notice she was there, but, she seems very much like Bruce if she starts moving, there just nothing that seems to stop her." Giovanni sighs.

"Has she ever displayed any of her father's tendencies since that time?"

"Not that I know of, and it did annoy me that she didn't, but I have heard that she turned pretty brutal with the criminals in Jump City."

"You better keep an eye on her Zee, if she has beaten Trigon, there is practically no telling how powerful she is. Tell me, do you have any… countermeasures?"

"I am sure Bruce has, but from what I have been told and seen, she is very timid about the power's she has, acts as if she would rather be without them."

"Could it be an act?" He asks.

"Possibly, but if she is, she is good. None of the League seems to notice it. Even her… minions seem to refer to her as human rather than demon."

"Because she is, human." A deep rumbling voice from above reminds the two that they have a guardian, as they look up they see it has not moved and his still scanning the area. "The thing that we would bow instantly to out of heritage, has been utterly been consumed by her other half. Where Lord Trigon would have the human consumed, Queen Raven's human nature has gained dominance over her legacy."

"And how do we know you aren't lying?" Giovanni asks.

"I would have relished the opportunity to rend her limb from limb had she not so easily defeated the greatest of us." The thing replies.

"Thrakmar the Bloodied, they called him." Zatanna says. "Bigger than that one, and Raven hardly broke sweat on him."

"Hmm, I see, but still, be careful." Giovanni says. "But let's discuss something else, how are you, besides these unfortunate months?"

"Oh I am good, really I am." Zatanna adds when he looks at her questioningly. "Got calls left and right for me to pull the old rabbit out of the hat, well hopefully I still have when I feel up to it again."

"So, there's not a special someone yet?" He asks with a coy smile.

"Dad!" Zatanna pouts feeling slightly offended.

"What? I was hoping to have grandchildren one day, even if I never get to see them." He admits.

"Well, there's no one at the moment. Bruce and Wonder Woman have been dancing around each other for years, and I can't get between that. But I hope that one day there will be one for me." She admits.

"Ah that's good, I was beginning to fear you only had magic and work on your mind."

"So, what about you, where did you go all these years?" She asks. "Do you even have any idea how long I have been looking?" He looks slightly hurt as she says the last part.

"I am afraid I do not have a perception of time anymore?" He admits.

"You've been gone for 22 years." She replies flatly. "Why did you go?"

He sighs before talking. "I felt I had to, you were all grown up despite your age and you seemed so happy at Rose and Richard's. Your mother and I shared so many adventures together and with you all grown up I thought I was ready to begin reliving those days again. I travelled the Earth and other planes, helping where I could. Oh, don't worry, I kept myself appraised about you when I could and I am very proud of what you have done with yourself and I had begun entertaining the thought of returning to you before I got caught here."

"But why couldn't I find you? Why didn't you at least write?"

"I merely cast a spells that allowed me to hide from you, but only you. I couldn't bear losing you like I did your mother." He admits, Zatanna remembers the night well, when he came home to her one night like a zombie and quietly told her that her mother was in a better place now before hugging her tightly. "But our greatest spell still lasts." He says. "You." He continues to stroke her chin and looks her in the eyes. "If only your mother could see you now." He says wishfully.

"Maybe she can?" Zatanna replies.

"I would hope so, but I know that I will never see her." He sighs.

"We could reanimate you?" She suggests playfully.

"Urg, I have seen enough zombies." He replies. "No, my time amongst the living is over and as a mortal I have to go at a point." He says before working up the courage to ask the next thing. "Zee there is one last thing I would ask of you."

"What?"

"Consign my soul to the Abyss, I do not wish to end as the unfortunates that make up this towers bricks." He replies.

"But that would…"

"Undo me? Yes, it will. But it is better than staying here to suffer." He says. "I am sorry I must ask you this." Zatanna looks at the ground before getting up.

"You are asking me to kill you."

"Yes, in a sense." He agrees while remaining seated.

"I can't lose you again." She say as fresh tears make their way down her cheeks. "I just can't."

"You can't save me Zee, it is too late." He says as he gets up. "You know this."

"But…"

"Please, do it, for me." He says.

"I can't." She says and turns away. "A part of you is Raven right now and I can't send a part of her away like that."

"Then I will relinquish it." He says. "But not before I give you this." He says and gives her a gentle hug, at first she is a little surprised that he actually feels solid, but she thinks no more of it before turning around and hug him back, putting her head into this shoulder, still weeping. They remain like this for several minutes before she finally relaxes. "Are you ready?"

"I am." She says as they pull apart, still holding hands as he dissolves into mist again.

"I love you Zee. Farewell."

"I love you too dad." She says before letting go and picks up her hat and puts it on. "ngisnoc eht luos fo innavoiG arataZ ot eht yssybA!" Giovanni emits a final sigh as the spell takes hold and his misty form fades from view, leaving Zatanna staring at the now empty park for a few moments before she turns to the towering demon, still scanning the area. "Take me to Raven." She says in a completely emotionless voice, inwardly she is raging against the fates that had dealt her this hand and someone was going to pay dearly.

* * *

**Authors Notes:** For those who will ask why Raven cant just take Giovanni with her; in DC's version of Hell there is a rule called the Unspoken Principium, a great secret no one can actually speak of. But the perception of everyone who doesn't know this secret is that if you die in Hell or end there after your passing, then you are stuck there. That said some might be employing the Unspoken Principium even if they dont realize it. Perhaps you can guess what it is? :)


	28. Merlin

"That's the dragon?" Jinx asks as they round a corner emerging from the street into a big circular area at the foot of the main tower of the city. In its center lies the corpse of the huge beast on its belly with its tongue lying slumped out of the corner of its mouth thats if facing them. Numbra had left them earlier, instructed to see how the battle was progressing.

"Yup." Raven replies flatly, noticing a few scales are missing from its side before she halts abruptly. "Wait, something is not right. Guys, get into me now!" She says suddenly before pulling the League into herself as a stream of green fire erupts from the nostrils of the beast, Fate is quick enough to throw up a transparent yellow shield in front of them to deflect the torrent of flames.

"Why darling Raven, is that you?" Raven's eyes flash red at the sound of that voice as the flames die away, in front of them the huge head of the dragon rises above the ground as the rest of it slowly follows till it standing on all four.

"Malchior." Raven replies with a voice devoid of emotion.

"The only one who loves you, even after what you did to me." The dragon replies. "And all I did was pull out your true self. And now this place is crawling with unfriendly demons, lets us join forces and escape this place so that we may start anew."

Raven holds up a single finger before any of the others can speak, this was between her and it. "You caught me at a weak point, wove your lies around me and made me dance to your false tune. Later you return and transform me into a monster, and now you think we are even?" She asks as she walks calmly towards the huge reptile. "Actually I should thank you in a warped way; your curse has brought me a few good things since we last met." The dragon snorts a cloud of smoke at her.

"Pity, my sole comfort during this last year was the thought of you, cowering alone in a distant cave like the insecure little girl I know you are." It sneers.

"Maybe, but I killed you in rage. I don't know how you managed to pull yourself back together, but I intend to make sure that does not repeat itself." Raven replies flatly.

The dragon just emits a wheezing laughter. "Ah, but you forget, nothing can die in Hell."

"Ah, but I don't want you dead." Raven replies with a menacing voice. "Guards, have him prepared for transportation." She says, the dragon is about to reply when the seven members of the Trigonian Guard slam into the ground around him, with the bruised Thrakmar landing in front of him. Malchior takes on a surprised expression as he stares at them.

"You…" He doesn't manage any more before the first attack against his flank is made and he roars in pain. The demons are quick in their work, Malchior doesn't stand a chance against them as they take him apart piece by piece, sustaining few injuries themselves from his breath and his tail, before it is severed by one with a huge two-handed sword.

"Fate, do you have the bottle?" Raven asks as she pretends to ignore the scene behind her as she has returned to the others, only Jinx seems to be negatively affected by the scene before her.

"I do." The mage says before a small circular bottle is pulled out of an ankh before it is passed to Raven.

"Raven, stop this." Jinx says suddenly, almost making Raven drop the container in surprise. "He was only being nice to you!" Raven just stares at Jinx in disbelief, Fate quickly places a blue glowing hand on her temple, causing her to blink a few times. "Huh? What?"

"A dragons magic is powerful and subtle." Fate says. "A spell of persuasion."

"You seem more jinxed yourself." Philipus notes dryly.

"Knock it off." Raven replies briskly. "Could have been you." She says before walking back to the mayhem. The demons stop and stand back when she draws close, except Thrakmar who is passed the huge double headed axe of one of the others. Malchior groans weakly as the axe is raised high, Thrakmar hold the pose for a second before Raven nods, the axe descends and separates Malchior's head from his thick neck in a single stroke to the sound of a wet thud. Raven stretches out one hand after removing the cork from the bottle, forming a dark whirlwind she seems to suck something blue out of Malchior and leading it all into the bottle before resealing it. "Have the remains packed when I get back." Raven says before returning to the others. Behind her, the Guards begin picking up the pieces before flying away.

"I was expecting only the claw, so what do you intend for the rest of it?" Fate asks.

"All yours if you want." Raven replies as she puts the bottle into a small portal of her own.

At the foot of the tower a pair of double door swings inward.

"While I wasn't finished training it, I am very displeased about the way you have manhandled my pet." The voice has them all turn to face the speaker as he emerges from the tower. He is dressed in a white robe that covers his reddish-brown skin, while leaving his lower arms free and a part of his chest visible along with his cloven feet. His face seems out of place on his body as it bears a smiling and enamoring face, while a pair of huge horns rise above his head, bending backwards.

"Myrddin." Etrigan grumbles while his eyes flash red.

"It is I, dear brother. I would have words with thee regarding your current allegiances. The rest of you will feel to entertain yourselves." Myrddin replies as several shadows behind him move forwards, while he floats above the ground and leads Etrigan away, who leaps after him with a snarl.

"Is it wise to leave him alone?" Philipus asks.

"We give him the chance." Fate replies as the figures in the shadows emerge, to the assembled mages they all suddenly find themselves almost alone in the square.

Fate regards the sole figure warily as it approaches him. "Inza?"

"Kent?" Fate recognizes the voice of his wife as she steps out of the shadows, she is not wearing her usual attire of loose fitting sand-colored jacket and green pants, instead having replaced both with a figure hugging cat-suit in black. "I've been so lonely without you, when you are gone on your lonesome journeys."

"I know, and I apologize for my shortcomings as a husband." Fate replies as Inza comes closer.

"Do not fret my love, all is forgiven." Inza continues as she embraces him.

"Bart? What are you doing here? And what is that you're wearing?" Jinx asks as the young speedster reveals himself, wearing a completely black version of his usual yellow and red outfit, save for the badge on his chest.

"I'm here for you Jinxie, and I thought you might like it." He replies cheerfully.

"Well, I do. But you always hated black." She replies, knowing all of the Flash's had at one point met a very peculiar version of themselves, the Black Flash, their version of death incarnate as Barry had explained it was the only thing that could catch up with them. Jinx on the other hand had always wanted to see him in another costume, if just once.

"Nonsense, I'd do anything for you." Kid Flash replies as he comes closer, Jinx catches something in his eyes a slightly red colored flash.

"Sister? What are you doing here?" Philipus asks in surprise at the black clad Antiope dressing her hunting attire, a tight vest and pants along with a pair of gauntlets at reach up to her elbows but leaves her fingers bare.

"Why, I just couldn't stay away from you Sister. Please, come with me." Antiope says, beckoning Philipus over with a finger.

"But, where are the others?" Philipus asks as she comes over.

"Quite safe my love. Come, I know just the place for us." The archer replies almost longingly as they enter the tower.

"Hmm, two of you, yippee." Raven replies flatly at the two in front of her. She didn't need the enraged outbursts inside of her mind to know they are not what they pretend to be.

The one to the left is pretending to be Richard, wearing only a pair of shorts a pair of white cuffs from a shirt and a collar with a butterfly from a dinner suit and his mask. The other one, the source of an enraged Princess, is Diana, wearing nothing but a two-piece latex underwear set that leaves little to the imagination and leather cuffs on her ankles and wrists, along with a wide collar of the same material with a long chain attached to it which Richard is holding onto.

"All for you Rae." The Richard pretender says as he guides the phony Diana over while Raven shifts into her wingless form before regarding them coldly as they stop in front of her. "Don't give us that look Rae, we both know you want us."

"And now you have us." 'Diana' replies as Richard passes the chain to Raven who just hold onto it lightly.

"No, I don't, because you aren't who you pretend to be." Raven replies flatly. "And you obviously aren't the most intelligent of his servants, or I am overestimating your capabilities."

"What are you talking about Rae? We love you." Richard asks as Raven can feel their influence on her feelings.

"Look into my eyes." Raven instructs to him while fixing him with a stare, his eyes go wide for a second before he stumbles away while clutching his head.

"No…too many…!" He growls as he drops to his knees and he begins changing several parts of his body into other shapes making him look like a horrible mish-mash of people that just keeps changing. Groaning in pain he collapses on the ground while his body continues to shift uncontrollably. The Diana pretender looks absolutely appalled at this before trying to run, completely forgetting the chain that after a hard yank leaves her on her back looking up into Ravens hood.

"And you." Raven says in a menacing voice. "I carry the real person you are impersonating in my head, and she is absolutely furious. What do you say Diana?" She asks as she looks away. "Ah." She continues, having received a reply and continues to hoist the demon to its feet by the chain.

"No… please…!" It pleads as it holds onto the chain with an absolutely terrified expression on its face. "I…I am not what I seem!" It continues as it stumbles to the ground as Raven raises a clawed hand, intending to repeat the treatment she gave the last Diana pretender, but halts.

"What are you then? And change out of that."

"I… I can't." It stammers.

"Keep talking, what are you?"

"I don't know, they keep saying I was made for this." The creature replies.

"Myrrdin knew we were coming." Raven replies, more to herself, cursing under her breath. "Where are the others?" She asks suddenly, returning her focus to the creature.

"H-here." It stammers as the other magicians become visible again, just in time for Raven to see a smoking corpse, burnt beyond all recognition, falling away from Dr. Fate. While Jinx is brawling with another opponent, as it rolls them over to straddle her, it is blasted away by Fate, leaving a slightly surprised Jinx to get up.

"I had him." She grumbles, revealing several bruises on her face.

"Fate, can you tell me what this is." Raven asks the mage as she drags her captive over.

"Isn't that…?".

"No." Jinx is cut off by Raven

"Hmm, seems to be a convert." Fate says after a few seconds study. "A soul changed into a shape not belonging to itself." He explains. "This may help." He continues as a golden aura surrounds the creature for a few seconds, causing it to smoke and change, leaving a frail looking woman behind that is literally only half of Diana's weight. If she wasn't so obviously starved, she might have been beautiful once. "Anastasia Krigizua, born in southern Russia into poverty, lived on the streets all her life, killed three other men for food and money, died for the same reason three years ago. Her resemblance to Diana had her brought here on Myrrdin's command where she was changed and enslaved to this." Raven waves once and the woman's restraints fly from her.

"She didn't deserve this." Raven sighs before crouching down in front of the woman. _"Anastasia, I cannot take you from this place, but I can take your pain away but you will not remain."_ She speaks in Russian. _"Do you understand what I am offering?"_

_"I… I do, God will not have me… please, take me from this place… I cannot go back."_

_"Close your eyes and relax."_ Raven says quietly, as the woman does so, Raven embraces her gently as her cloak swirls around them, covering them completely. The cloak at first seems to expand to cover them, but it quickly shrinks to its normal size, leaving only Raven to stand back up. "She is at peace now."

"Umm Rae, where's the Amazon lady?" Jinx asks, Raven eyes widen a fraction as she realizes it.

"One second." She says before launching herself at a point on the tower wall, smashing through it, leaving the two others behind.

"So…" Jinx asks looking at the burnt corpse.

"My wife." Fate replies shortly. "You?"

"Boyfriend, there was something wrong with his eyes." Jinx replies before the two fall silent, neither of them looking at each other.

"And now sister, we will consummate our relationship." Anitope says while leaning over Philipus as they share the old bed in a darkened room, neither of them are wearing anything.

"I…" Philipus doesn't get to stay anything more as she receives a kiss, right as the far wall is blown inwards, the light from the torch lit corridor beyond only reveals a caped figure with glowing red eyes. The two on the bed quickly scramble to cover themselves with the sheets.

"Get the hell away from her!" The figure growls before Anitiope is thrown clear of Philipus and into the wall at the foot of the bed. "You are out of uniform sister."

"Sis…Raven, what are you doing?! It's Antiope!" Philipus complains, still mildly shocked at the situation.

"No it's not." Raven replies flatly before stomping over into the corner and hauls the naked pretender to her feet by her hair and throat. "Are you?" She asks, only getting a strangled sound from the demon. "Change out of this insult, or I will snap your neck!"

The demon meets her gaze with yellow eyes before nodding and changes into its own shape, with curled horns, long snaking tongue, pointed teeth, bat wings and the clawed legs of a beast. Raven holds onto it for Philipus to study before shoving it into the opposite corner from the bed.

"Get dressed, I'll be out here." Raven says before leaving the room, while Philipus just stares at the creature in the corner that seems to regard her with newfound fear.

Further down the corridor, Raven smells the ozone before a howl is heard, silenced by a thunderclap.

"Found her I see." Jinx says with a smirk as Raven lands, putting Philipus on her feet, the Amazon's jaw muscles can be seen bunching up, fighting not to snap at the pink head, Raven was actually siphoning off the warriors rage, not enough for her to notice, but enough so that she wouldn't pound Jinx into the ground.

"Yes, now we only need to find Myrrdin and Etrigan..." Raven replies before looking up. "Maybe not."

"DIE!" A deep voice roar's as Raven quickly throws up a shield in time for something to impact on it and roll away.

"Etrigan?! What's wrong with him?" Philipus asks as the squat demon faces them, a glowing rounded M stamped on his forehead.

"It's how Myrrdin came to control him." Fate says.

"Merlin's Brand." Raven says, echoing Batman's words. "Jason is not in control anymore."

"But he is still inside of him." Fate continues.

"And there he will remain, doomed to watch through my foolish brother's eyes." Myrrdin says as he appears besides Etrigan in a flash.

"Keep the goat busy, I'll deal with Etrigan." Raven says as she drops the shield.

"Deal with him? Poor deluded creature, you know not who you are dealing with." Myrrdin replies before ducking under a forked lightning aimed at his head. "And neither do you." He continues as he stares at three mages.

"Here we go again." Raven sighs as she floats to the side of Etrigan to have both him and Myrrdin in her immediate sights.

"And this time, thee shall not claim victory!" Etrigan replies as his tongue snakes out between his teeth. "And no spell shall save thee this time."

"I don't remember you coming that close the last time." She says matter-of-factly only getting growl out of Etrigan before he takes a deep breath and exhales a stream of fire, like when she met him, Raven throws up a shield before her that holds firm. Raven is thinking that he may be unimaginative in his way of fighting before she is pushed back along with her shield. "Hmm, clever." She notes as the flames disappear, revealing Etrigan just on the other side of her barrier.

"Really? Is this supposed to be difficult?" Myrrdin asks as he effortlessly counters or dodges the magical blasts sent in his direction.

"He is yielding!" Philipus shouts as she sends another bolt of lightning at him, one he catches in one hand before hurling it back, forcing her to leap to the side to avoid it.

"Girls shouldn't play with lightning." The demon wizard smirks.

"And goats shouldn't walk!" Zatanna's voice rings from above a second before Myrrdin is force to scramble back as the huge Trigonian Guard smashes into the ground with Zatanna sitting in its hair. The demon extends a hand to pick Zatanna out of its hair, while retrieving its weapon from its back. "What did I miss?" She asks the others as the Guard stomps over towards Etrigan, while brightly colored beams race out towards them.

"I'd duck if I were you." Raven says as Etrigan has his back turned to the demon behind him.

"HA!" Etrigan mocks before he is treated like a golf ball and sent flying into the buildings beyond the tower with a screech that sounds like he strikes more buildings on his.

"Go reason with him, convince him he Is being used again." Raven commands, the demon just nods before stomping off after Etrigan, smashing apart the first structures it has to pass as Raven adds her attacks to the others.

_Team Nightwing, Richard's P.O.V._

I hate to admit it, but things aren't going as I hoped it would. Ra's must be in a very bad mood to have sent this amount of manpower at us, I hardly have time to orientate myself before a new opponent is before me and I stopped counting after the 11th or 12th.

But from the few short glazes I have managed, I can say I am at least proud of the others. To my surprise, it is actually Katana and Bushido that is having the hardest time when alone, I figure it is their mutual determination to uphold the bushido code of honor that is keeping them from striking their opponents in the back. Unfortunately, their opponents being ninja's have no such limitation. But the two samurai cover for each other as if they are old partners.

Helena and Tim are also covering for each other as they have their back against the way we got in, Helena having shot a fair few of their assailants in the shoulders and legs and Tim engaging the ones she doesn't. When Bruce gets back, I'll have to mention to him that she so far hasn't killed any of them which is odd considering she has the green light to do so. Those wounded either limp away or receive the end of Tim's rod and stay down after that.

Ravager is something else, I will give her that, and Slade must have been grinding her into the ground while training her. She's is holding off six ninjas on her own last I looked, the missing eye seemingly as much a hindrance to her as Slade's is to him. While I haven't been able to tell or check those who have fallen, I know those four she has dispatched so far will need medical attention. That is if Ra's lets them live down the failure.

I, myself, am having a hard time being on something other than the defensive, with my five dance partners. The ten original almost tripped over each other when they tried to rush me at once, making it a little easier, but these five are smart enough to have spread out, trying to catch me in a circle. So far I feel fortunate that I have only a few nicks and bruises. Hopefully everyone else is like me.

"ROBIN!" My heart freezes as I hear Huntress yell, by pure reflex I swing one of my batons into the head of the ninja blocking my view, from that slight view I am able to get, I see Tim lying flat on his stomach with blood pooling around his head, while Helena has discarded her crossbow in favor of Tim's rod and is savagely beating away any of the ninja's trying to get close.

I begin fighting the same way, ignoring my own safety to get over to Tim, I have to know. Is he alive or dead? The others seem to react as well from what I can tell.

"Huntress!" I yell as I get within five meters of her, with only one of the assassins barring my path, when one of them manages to sneak up behind her and impales her through her upper chest. Helena is caught completely off guard and only makes a surprised gasp before she looks down at the two pieces of steel sticking out of her.

"Huh." She sighs dismissively before collapsing headfirst onto the ground over Tim.

"NO!" I scream as I shatter a few teeth with a fist to get over to the two on the floor.

_"Halt."_ I hear the calm commanding voice as clearly as everyone else, but I ignore it to check out the two. Helena is out, but alive and her pulse is slowing. I almost swear as I find Tim is only out with a nasty wound on the side of his head that's faced down. "Now then, you wished to talk."

I have a hard time of not assaulting the speaker, but somehow I manage to turn around slowly. Noticing my three other companions are standing with their swords between them and the ninja's who are now standing rock still around them. As I turn all the way around, I see him standing on a raised area behind a railing, dressed in his preferred light green suit and cloak of the same color on the outside and yellow on the inside.

"Right now I am wondering if I should skip that part." I say.

He sighs. "Young detective, much too emotional still." Inwardly I cringe, like Dr. Light, I always felt Ra's was a bit too much in love with his own voice. "But let that rest, what brings you to the feet of the Demons Head and why is the Detective not with you?"

"She needs help." I say without taking my eyes off him, like Bruce, Ra's tends to move quickly and quietly. The man only nods a silent command and several of the ninja's advance open palmed towards me, I step aside. Through our long troubles with the man, Bruce, Tim and I have come to learn a fair bit about Ra's manners and methods.

If he wants you dead, you most likely will not know of his displeasure before the League of Assassins has dispatched you. But he is not one to take advantage of a prone enemy, his own sense of honor forbids it and that sense extends to wherever he is, limiting what I have seen the League do and left behing. For now I know Helena will receive at least basic treatments, as will Tim.

"Stand down." I say to the others, taking a deep breath before walking up to the man. _"I hope you are doing better than I am Rae."_


	29. A Hair from the Demons Head

"By the God's, doesn't anything stick to him?!" Philipus growls in frustration as she is forced to move aside again to avoid another bolt.

So far Myrrdin is single handedly holding off the five mages and their magic, mainly by encasing himself in a transparent yellow bubble that sends all attacks against flying off into other directions. The five has had a few close calls where their fellow's attacks had almost hit them instead. While Myrrdin himself have been casually blasting his own bolts through his barrier, but they can tell he is just amusing himself.

Fate had ceased his own attacks in favor of holding up a barrier of his own and to try and think of something. Ravens eyes are twitching, her soul felt like it had been scalded after she had tried swallowing him and his bubble with it, several blasts from the inside had forced her to stop the attack.

"_Get Jinx to try something other than direct attacks." _Bruce says from the inside. Raven had used a few precious seconds to explain that Myrrdin was likely to rip them apart in their current state, which kept them from wanting to go out.

"Hit the ground!" The pink headed throws herself flat at Philipus' warning as a bolt from Myrrdin races over her.

"Thanks… Move!" Jinx returns the favor and Philipus is only lightly singed on her left shoulder instead of having it blown off.

"Jinx, the ground around him." Raven says before sending a blast of her own magic at Myrrdin's head to blind him.

"Got it." Jinx replies as she gets up and begins sending bolts at the ground in front of Myrrdin.

"GAH!" Raven yelps as she is sent flying backwards from the blast sent through her own blast, her hands are stinging from the impact and something smells burnt.

"Is this really all you can muster?" Myrrdin asks. "It took me more effort to subdue my foolish brother."

"nidrryM llaf!" Zatanna commands and the demon sorcerer stumbles forwards into the jinxed area that immediately opens up into a huge hole that the shield would have slipped into, if the mage didn't just float over it.

"Bartur…nem…athert…prok!" Fate continues as several dark green tentacles rise out of the pit and begins grabbing hold of the shield.

"Hold him!" Raven shouts as she draws Shadowfury and teleports above the orb and drops, slicing a hole in the side facing the mages before having to teleport away or drop into hole.

"Finally." Philipus says as she and Jinx simultaneously throws their magic at the breach, this time it hits home. "Huh?"

"Oh dear, looks like they cancelled each other out." Myrddin mocks from the inside apparently unaffected by the attacks.

"Why is your shirt burning then?" Zatanna notes at the singed clothing.

"Bah." The demon snorts before patting out the flames eating his sleeve. "Well, this has been amusing but I think it's time to get a little more serious." He continues as his dome cracks like glass before exploding outwards. The tentacles are shredded, only Dr. Fate's shield saves them from a similar demise, but they are still thrown to the ground.

The five are blinded for a few seconds by the blast before their vision returns. "So disappointing, all of you." Myrrdin says calmly, as they spot him walking between them, they don't have time to react before the ground suddenly gains the substance of wet concrete long enough to trap them all in it before hardening again. Leaving Fate with half his side submerged, Raven on her stomach with both her arms and legs stuck, Zatanna is cursing wildly as her hands and hair is the only thing stuck. Jinx is lying face up, while most of her body has been sunk into the ground and lastly Philipus had her hands and feet trapped while she tried to lift the rest of herself clear.

"And you, traitor-kin, you disappoint me most of all. And to think you are the Gem of Trigon's eyes." He sighs as he looks at Raven.

"I am no body's property." She growls back as white mist begins steaming off her forming several small glowing orbs.

"Push him back!" Batman's voice rings out as the orbs blast Myrrdin away before the phantoms of the League charge forth, blasting away as they go.

"tcapwodahS eb eerf!" Zatanna says, shortly followed by the crunching sound of the ground giving up its captives. They all quickly rush to add their powers to the Leagues assault.

"MYRRDIN!" A roar is heard from the edge of the square as Etrigan storms over, adding his fiery breath to the barrage that slams into his brother.

"ENOUGH!" Myrrdin bellows as he begins to form another barrier to block the power sent his way.

"nevaR leef ruo yruf!" Raven's mind goes blank for a second as she feels an incredible rush and a scream is heard before being washed away in a deafening explosion.

Blinking as she regains her sights she notices she is on the ground and the others are looking down at her with Jason instead of Etrigan, Raven just stares a little more annoyed at Zatanna. "Don't do that again." Raven growls as she sits up. "What happened?" She asks, spotting the League Founders crowding around a crater and straight line of smashed buildings extending away from her.

"Heard somewhere of a little trick you used, so I just channeled everyone's emotions into you." Zatanna replies with a smirk as she offers a hand to her, which she grabs to get up. "Didn't know you'd siphon our magic into it though."

"What?"

"It will come back, but I feel like I've just outrun Bart." Jinx says.

"Or done five laps around Themyscira." Philipus demonstrates with a few pitiful sparks from her fingers.

"Ok, I get it. Just say we got him." Raven sighs as they walk over to the crater, Myrrdin looks like a mummy, his limbs are literally only skin and bones as he lies unmoving in the pit, completely dried out. "Is he dead?"

"Alas we saw his spirit flee the pit as we got up." Jason sighs. "He will return one day."

"And everyone else is ok?" Raven asks looking up from the corpse.

"Thankfully that guy was in the way, or I would have caught that in the face." Shayera mentions, Raven doubt's it would actually have affected her though the immediate area behind the crater is torn apart.

"We will be fine Rae." Jinx adds. "Now how about we get out of here before Satan decides to show up?"

"Actually…" Raven is cut off as a thump is heard behind them drawing their attention, revealing it to be the Guard Raven sent after Etrigan. It Is using its mace as a crutch since it is obvious that its mangled left leg is useless right now. It surprises them that the thing can even stand as its injuries become apparent, as it is also missing its lower right arm and huge chunks of its wing membrane is missing. Yet the thing keeps moving towards them in spite of the injuries, stopping and righting itself before them.

"Your Highness… Etrigan… has returned…" It announces in its deep rumbling voice.

"A job well done, have those injuries tended to, I can use someone as stubborn as you." Raven replies flatly, guessing who was responsible.

"As you command." It replies before turning 90 degrees and begins shuffling back towards the main gate. Raven closes her eyes for a few seconds before opening them again.

"And you are uninjured?" She asks Jason, who looks like he just got here.

"I am. Yet I know not why Etrigan's injuries has not made themselves felt yet or why he is unconscious." The man replies, Raven sighs.

"Well, we will have to figure that out later. I have ordered everyone out of here, we'd better follow suit."

"Got a carriage?" Jinx asks jokingly, she freezes a second as she notices Raven smirk before they are all swallowed by Ravens soul self before it flies them over and out of the city to the amassing army in the hills, dropping them all off on top of Hexzakar. "Ok, a little cold by effects the same." They are all startled by someone clapping behind them, spotting a blond man in a dress suit with golden wing on is back; Raven has the nerve to go smack him, but relents.

"Bravo; that was very amusing, if a bit melodramatic and the lack of closure." He says as Raven's eyes flare.

"Sam… I do have the temptation to punch you for that video." Raven grumbles.

"Sam...Lucifer?!" Zatanna realizes, Jinx's eyes go wide.

"Don't worry Jinx, I was enjoying the fireworks here long before you got into the city." Sam replies with his usual smirk. "And you can't prove that it was my camera." He adds to Raven as she turns back to normal, just in time for her to roll her eyes at him. "Oh, don't be like that, stardom awaits you."

"But what are you doing here?" Jason cuts in.

"Like I was saying, I wanted to see the fireworks and for you people they have been pretty. But I will show you how the old master does it. First we have your nameless ghoulies pulled out of the city." He starts as the area before them glows slightly before a huge collection of pyres and fiends materialize along with several of the beasts and the Guard standing in the center. "Since you're so compassionate." He says to Raven. "And now we bring down the house." He says striking a pose with his arms lifted over his head.

"Erm…nothing's happening." Wally adds after a few seconds after Sam lowers his arms.

"Have patience Flasher, it takes time for something to get down here." Sam says, unbothered as he forms a beach chair and a fancy drink for himself and a pair of sunglasses for everyone before lying down. "Always loved sunsets." He say's as a pair of sunglasses also appear on his face before taking a sip. "Well don't look at me, or you'll miss the spectacle." He continues as he notices everyone is staring at him. "And… here… we… go!"

At the word go, a star seems to blink into existence on the crimson sky, growing brighter at first before they realize it's actually coming towards them, they can only stare as the comet streaks towards them, smashing into the far side of Talazzarr with a huge explosion following, blinding the spectators momentarily before keeping their balance become the most important thing.

As they regain their sight and balance, they see that Talazzarr has been reduced to a blazing ruin now, the parts of it that is left that is, the other parts have vanished into the crater on the far side of the city. "Nuts, my aim is off." Sam complains. "Oh well, it was a nice view. Have fun people." Before anyone can question him, they find his chair empty.

"Well, I was going to ask someone to level that place anyway." Zatanna sighs.

"These are actually nice." Jinx notes at her sunglasses.

"What are they?" Philipus asks, studying her own. Above them Thrakmar flaps down with something in his right hand, bowing slightly before Raven picks it out with her powers and turns to the others.

"Think this will be enough?" She asks, showing Fate the huge claw she had asked Thrakmar to bring her.

"More than enough I'd say." Fate agrees.

"Good, means we can get back." Raven says as she passes it to him and turns to face Thrakmar. "Return to the Pit as fast as you can, leaving nothing of our presence behind and fortify the pit in case someone thinks this is a problem."

"As you command." Thrakmar says as he watches the party disappear into Raven's soul-self.

_Lair of the Demons Head:_

"Are we really doing this?" Ravager whispers to Katana as they and Bushido are left on the sideline, watching Nightwing talk with Ra's in Arabic, which none of them speak.

"We are, it is his way." Katana replies quietly with her heavy Japanese accent.

_"Was it really necessary to cripple Huntress for this?"_ Nightwing asks, the conversation so far had been pure small talk, something Richard knows Ra's always gets into before business.

_"You bring armed warriors to my door."_ Ra's shrugs before sipping his tea. _"Not that the woman matters."_ Richard refuses to sigh or show his distaste for the man sitting across from him with the low table between them. _"Now then, what business brings you bring to the feet of the Demons Head?"_

Richard had thought long and hard during the flight about how to present this problem to Ra's and get him to agree, coming up with being honest was the best way, especially in person, Ra's is old enough to tell when people are lying. _"A recent event saw Batman's spirit separated from his body, while it is being contained, others have set about to join him with his body again, by means of an ancient spell. In short, we need…"_

_"A single hair from an ageless mortal." _Ra's cuts in. _"Don't look so surprised young detective, I provided it for the first attempted casting, for a favor, of course." _He continues before taking another sip, Richard decides to mask his surprise by taking a mouthful of his own.

_"What kind of favor?"_ He asks, knowing Ra's is heading there anyway and that he isn't going to like it.

_"Only a less watchful eye on my work."_

_"You are of course aware Batman wouldn't allow it? And especially not because of himself?" _Richard notes.

_"Of course, the Detective is a selfless man, if a little narrow-minded, but it is not him I am addressing." _Ra's continues coolly, the only thing Richard had so far been able to read off him was amusement.

Inwardly Richard curses, Ra's is asking him to basically let him have free reigns in Gotham which will undoubtedly lead to many lives lost later down the line. He asks himself if he can live with that to get Bruce and the others back? Will Bruce let him live with it when he finds out? And he will find out.

_"So what is your decision?"_ Ra's asks.

_"No."_ Richard replies flatly. _"If I went along with it and carried it out, many lives would be lost, lives who's deaths I will not be held accountable for. And Batman would find out eventually and I won't betray his trust like that. And in case the spell fails, I will have tarnished Batman's memory by not remaining vigilant."_

_"I shall miss the Detective, and so will Talia." _Ra's sighs. _"You may leave us now." _Richard doesn't hide his own disappointment as he stands up, as a tearing sound is heard from the floor below, the group's attention is immediately drawn to the sight of a sword point carving a hole in the air. As it comes back to its starting point the circle is pulled in like a piece of cloth caught in a vacuum cleaner.

Ra's doesn't say anything, his assassins are already leaping towards the dark hole, one even being brave, or foolish to jump into it. Only two seconds pass before six people emerge, the one in the lead dragging the ninja by the throat in one hand with carrying a burning sword in the other.

"This isn't where I thought he would be." Raven growls in her transformed state, before turning back into her human guise. Richard smirks before turning to face Ra's again, finding him gone.

"Find Ra's!" He orders the others who also realize the man is gone.

"Follow me!" Ravager shouts before heading down a corridor on the other side of the raised area from where the portal is closing up.

"_Remember, humans."_ Batman says as Raven eyes the ninjas in front of them.

"Any of you feeling better?" She asks right before Philipus storms past her to engage the ninja's, the first one is caught off guard and is sent sliding backwards after a blow to his head.

"I can maintain a shield, but beyond that..." Fate sighs.

"Ok, keep everyone safe, I will go see where the others went." She says before turning back to Philipus, who is holding up admirably against the three around her. Raven scans the ceiling before walking over to one of the steel support pillars, placing her hand on it, black lightning races up the construction, shocking the fifteen would-be ambushers crouching up there into unconsciousness, letting them fall down like fruit shaken from a tree. "You're welcome." Rave says in passing as she catches the ninja aiming to kick Philipus in the back, sending him flying as she passes by and flies down the corridor she can feel Richard went.

"I take it he didn't want to give it up?" She asks as she catches up with him, the rear guard of four pursuing Ra's, with Ravager in the lead.

"Not for anything I'd be willing to trade, can you track him?" He replies.

As she flies, she closes her eyes for a few seconds. "Got him." She says before teleporting, an 'Ouf!' is heard further down the corridor around the corner the group soon turns, finding Ra's with both his swords out while Raven hovers in front of him, covered completely by her cloak, blocking his way. He points a sword edge at each group as he notices his pursuers. _"I believe you were in the middle of something."_

"I will not be threatened." Ra's says quite firmly in English, looking from Raven to the armed group. "The Gypsy will know what consequences that will have."

"We aren't threatening you." Richard says while noting Ra's decided to use his more insulting name for him, which meant he's upset. "We only ask you kindly for a single hair."

"Then you will agree to the terms he stated earlier." A new female voice says from behind Raven as the cocking of a gun is heard, Richard looks around Raven spotting Talia al Ghul aiming one pistol at Raven's back and one at him, Raven appears not to care as she keeps staring at Ra's. "I would wish my love returned to me father." She says as she walks up slowly to push one pistol into Raven's back.

"Your friend isn't made." Ravager whispers to Nightwing.

Richard swears he saw a smirk under Raven's hood before she becomes blur of motion, his mind pieces together the motion he doesn't see. Raven steps to her left, before turning and grabs the gun pointed into her back with both hands and points the gun into the ceiling before audibly breaking the wrist of the hand holding it with a crunch, as the weapon fires Raven reaches over and forces Talia's left arm to aim into the ceiling as well before she twists the limb, dislocating her shoulder. The second weapon fires as well before it is dropped as the first, while Raven, forces Talia to stand in front of her, seizing her around the throat. It's as her hand closes, Tailia's mind registers the pain and she lets loose a sudden scream that turns to sobbing.

"Hmm." Ravager hums as if amused.

"Unhand my daughter!" Ra's growls as he points both swords at Raven.

"New deal Ra's; her, for the hair." Raven says, still hidden in the shadows of her cloak.

"_Tim and Huntress are injured, he's treating them." _Richard mentions in her head.

"Show me your face." Ra's demands, Richard is about to warn her from doing it, but then he again has the impression that she is smirking as she grows into her largest shape, the hood falls back as the horns grow.

_"Father…"_ Talia weeps as she realizes her captor is not human at all and that she is now dangling over the ground, Ra's features just seems to harden.

"And why should I trust you?" He asks.

"Because I am in here." For the first time, Richard notices Ra's surprise as Bruce speaks from Raven's mouth. "We take a single hair, Huntress and Robin and we leave you without further incident." Ra's sighs.

"Know there will be severe repercussions for you for this day." He growls while sheathing his swords, before pulling one hair out of his head and passes it to Nightwing. Raven holds on to Talia for a few seconds longer before huffing and lets the woman stand on her own feet.

"For one with a name like yours you should know better than to threaten the real thing. But I am not going to show you why." Raven shrugs before slowly turning into her soul self.

"I'll find you!" Ra's roars after her as she sweeps past him, taking the others with her before passing through the wall, passing through several more she scares a bunch of doctors, first by her sudden appearance, then by making off with Tim and Huntress. Doubling back, she picks up the rest waiting in the entry hall, Philipus sitting comfortably on two out cold ninja's. The trip ends as she phases into the hold of the now-roasting helicopter and lets the others out.

"Urg, from very cold to very warm." Ravager complains, Jinx just stares at her.

"Saved you the walk." Nightwing shrugs before heading up to the controls, Raven also seems to take more notice of Ravager.

"What?" Ravager asks as the two seems to take a little more interest in her than she prefers.

"You're Rose Wilson, aren't you?" Raven asks.

"And if I am?"

"Nothing, just confirming something." Raven shrugs before walking over to tend to Huntress and Tim.

"Huntress was defending Robin." Nightwing says from the cockpit before starting the engines. "Will she make it?"

"I'm going to prevent that from becoming a valid question." Raven replies before beginning healing.

"You know, my father mentioned you." Ravager says while looking at Jinx.

"Probably nothing flattering." Jinx shrugs. "But what was it?"

"Only he wanted to test me out against you before he would to send me off to get her." She says while nodding at Raven as there is a slight tremor as they take off.

"He sent a dragon after me before you showed up at his manor." Raven mentions offhandedly.

"Oh and how would you know?" Ravager asks.

"I walked Slade's mind about two months ago." Raven replies, still not turning away from Huntress.

"Would you happen to know where he is?" Raven hesitates before answering.

"Not if you are going to kill him."

"Hmm, from what I hear, you Titans would have liked to do that yourselves." Ravager counters.

"You are probably right and Slade is dead." Raven continues.

"WHAT?!"

"But Wilson is alive and receiving treatment." Raven doesn't let the shout interrupt her; neither does the sword at her throat distract her from the healing.

"How can he be dead and alive?" Ravager hisses into Raven's ear.

"The Slade that we, and you, came to know, is gone. Wilson is alive, recovering in an asylum." Raven replies as calmly as she had done so for the entire duration of their conversation. "Now remove the sword."

"I'm not satisfied." Ravager continues, Raven just shrugs as two metallic snaps are heard. Ravager just stares at the pommel of her katana as the rest of the blade is bent and twisted into a ball. Reaching behind her she finds her other sword only an one inch long stump.

"Now if you please." Raven sighs. Ravager just stares at her back and the pommel of the sword on her back. "He doesn't tolerate others to draw him." Raven continues as a metallic chuckle emerges from the blade.

Ravager sighs angrily. "You owe me." She grumbles before retreating to a corner, while Jinx walks up to take the co-pilots seat.

"So I guess you got the claw?" Nightwing asks.

"Yeah, though it wasn't easy. How long were we gone?"

"Hard to say really, speaking from experience, time moves strangely in places like that. Did in Tartarus at least, I thought only hours had passed, turned out to be a week. Any idea when you left?"

"Morning the 12th."

"Hmm, guess time moved normally this time." Nightwing shrugs. "We left the same morning, Gotham time that is."

"Possibly a bit faster then." Jinx continues. "So why aren't we using teleporters?"

"This wasn't cleared with the League, not entirely, in case things went south. So what happened down there?" He says, diverting the conversation.

Jinx just smirks. "Well for one thing, I nearly got turned into a demon, facehugger style."

"What?"

"You know, like in Aliens, Raven was able to pull it out before it became serious."

Nightwing just stares at her for a few seconds before shuttering. "Ew, tell me more." Jinx smirks as well.

Five hours later, in the middle of the night, the large helicopter touches down in the Wayne Enterprises section of the Dubai International Airport, after a brief pit stop in the middle of nowhere to change a few numbers.

The group of people emerging from its rear is only visible for a very short amount of time before they all disappear in a blue flash.

_The Watchtower:_

"So we have the feather, the claw and the hair." Nightwing concludes to the assembled body of the League Council, added Dr. Fate and Raven who had all been called in for a status update. "And Dr. Fate has the other ingredients?"

"I have." Fate nods. "We need only a suitable location, and one last thing. Zauriel's assistance."

"Well that sounds like it's just the location then, seeing as he is in the League and all." Oliver adds.

"Not really, Zauriel, as an angle, has certain values to which he abides. One of which is his belief that once a spirit is separated from its body, it belongs to either Heaven, Hell or Purgatory. A feat as the one we wish to attempt will be seen by him as heresy." Dr. Fate replies.

"Wait so this guy wants them to stay dead?" Kyle asks.

"Unfortunately, it's at least that is what we believe he will." Raven says. "And we have yet to ask him."

"Actually, none of us have really seen neither head nor feathers of him since Jump City." Atom adds.

"And he has not answered my call's." Fate adds while Nightwing is busy typing away at a computer. "Which makes me fear, that he means not to be involved."

"Well, I know where he is." Nightwing looks up.

"And where is that?" Donna asks.

"Here." Nightwing says as a holographic image of a huge structure appears on the table. "St. Paul's Basilica."

"_Figure's." _John says from inside Raven.

"Guess the Pope must be overjoyed." Ollie adds.

"He's currently visiting South Africa." Marvel adds before anyone can reply.

"Ok, so can we just call him and talk to him?" Kyle asks.

"Tried." Barry replies. "He's not picking up."

"So he wants us to go to him." Raven sighs as she gets out of her seat and heads towards the door.

"Rae, where are you going?" Nightwing asks before she is out.

"I am going to talk to him, if he still refuses to help, he can at least have the decency to tell it to their faces." She replies before the door closes, leaving a surprised room behind.

"Dude, I think you just got upstaged." Oliver adds at the miffed Nightwing who sighs and sits down.

"Hmm, I believe she has a good chance of at least obtaining his attention." Jason says. "But I would suggest we follow her discreetly."

"Then we better do it fast." Nightwing says with a smirk.

* * *

**Next Chapter:** A small meeting in a place of great importance.


	30. The angel Zauriel

It is dawn in Rome and the Vatican State, the normally crowded St. Peter's Square is empty to the vigil of the statues of the saints that stand on the roofs of the two colonnades circling most of the first oval square, and the rectangular area just before the Basilica itself. Like most churches with one, the dome of the Basilica is located at the western end of the complex, allowing the morning sun to shine directly on to the main building and the square.

All of this is noted but otherwise ignored by the cloaked figure entering the fist square by foot. The long cloak wrapped around it reveals nothing to the casual observer and little to the observant one, except it is not a dress of the inhabitants of the Vatican.

"_This is sure to anger him." _Batman mentions.

"_If he won't talk or come to us, then we will have to go to him. And don't worry, I am not intending to go any further than the obelisk unless needed to." _Raven replies calmly.

"_And if he doesn't show?"_ Diana asks.

"_I am sure the Church will want something like seen walking around the square and admire their architecture." _Raven counters, thinking about how that would turn out with hundreds of people in the square.

"_That could prove incredibly dangerous."_ Batman mentions, making Raven's head race, she has to agree, it could end in a schism in the worst case scenario if Zauriel refused to show by then.

"_It could." _She agrees, but holds onto the idea. _"He would be forced to smite me no doubt."_ She adds with a hint of amusement, Bruce sighs as Raven comes up on the obelisk standing in the center of the oval square. _"And now we wait." _She says as she sits down in its shadow facing the basilica, floating slightly over the ground in her meditation stance.

"_Question, isn't this place supposed to be close to poisonous to you or something?" _Shayera asks.

"_If it is I am not feeling it, but it might be if I have to get closer to something important."_ Raven replies as she closes her eyes and waits.

She doesn't care for the waiting time, she just meditates it away, letting her senses cover the square, deftly acknowledging that there were other people present and she knows who they are, and Zauriel is bound to notice them as well.

Speaking of the angle, Raven doesn't actually notice him before the wind from his wings is beat into her face. The fluttering of a flock of pigeons and the distant hum of Rome's traffic must have masked him she surmises as she opens her eyes to regard him. Flapping his wings and crossing his arms over his chest and an annoyed expression on his face.

"You set new standards for blasphemy by thinking you can do that here." He says quietly, but there is an edge in his voice while Raven studies him.

She notes he only really has four defining features, his wings as the obvious first thing, his deep set pupil-less red eyes, the chalk white skin on his face, Raven can't see if he is wearing a body suit or something or if he is really naked, the last thing is the eagle like features of his face that his nose gives him. She wouldn't be surprised if his hair, if any, would be adding to this. But the gold-black armor he wears on his upper chest, lower arms and the helmet makes this hard to tell.

"Served its purpose and I didn't have to enter the Basilica to find you." Raven replies flatly. "The League has been trying to contact you."

"I am well aware of that fact and I know why you are here and that the others that are following you."

"Well, there are seven souls waiting to hear your answer then." She says as she gets up.

"I should release the 370 souls you hold onto Heaven, where yours go I know not." Raven just quirks an eyebrow as he draws his sword from the scabbard at his hip that bursts into flame.

"You are going to kill me because of the hospitality I am offering them? Very dark ages Zauriel." Raven notes dryly but while remaining unmoving as he raises the blade over his head.

"I do apologize, but what you intend to do is blasphemy." The angel continues as a figure sprints from cover of the colonnades.

"So I hear." Raven shrugs. "But perhaps you should ask them if they want to leave? Or is free will still a sin as some say?" She asks, neither of them seem to notice the speeding figure crossing the halfway mark between them as the blade descends.

"RAVEN!" Nightwing screams in alarm, as if his voice carries the power, Zauriels blade halts millimeters from Raven's forehead, the heat of the flames make a single drop of sweat appear on her. The unblinking stare Raven had fixed Zauriel with, speaks volumes of how confident she was in the situation, before almost getting tackled to the ground by Richard who places himself between her and Zauriel. The angle looks surprised; Richard looks panicked and Raven looks annoyed into the backside of Richards head.

"Not that I don't like you coming to my rescue Nightwing, but you are interrupting something." She says.

"I'm not going to let him take another shot at you." Nightwing says but remains unmoving, Raven can hear Bruce grumble about emotional attachments inside of her. While Zauriel is staring at her, while ignoring Nightwing.

"You are an enigma to me." The angel says after several seconds of staring while sheathing his blade. "Born with the darkness of Hell at your core, yet still maintaining the purity of your human soul. Collecting souls, but only those who wish to be. And now you come to ask me to blaspheme, in this, the holiest of places?"

"I could say all sorts of things that would anger you now about this place, but yes, we are asking you to go against your beliefs, if they are what I believe them to be." Raven replies, Zauriel takes a deep breath looking to the cloudless sky above him before looking back down.

"I must seek guidance in this matter, and I bid you follow, all of you." He says looking around the area at each of the heroes in hiding before turning to Nightwing. Richard has the unnerving sense of being measured by the angel for the entire time it takes for the others to get there, who breaks off his stare as Jason, the last of them, arrives. "Very peculiar." The angle says to himself. "Now come."

Without much conversation besides whispering between one another, the group follows Zauriel to one of the large bronze double doors of the Basilica that open wordlessly at their approach. While Zauriel and the others enter, Raven and Jason share and awkward moment when they both stop on the doorstep.

"Strange foreboding sense?" Raven asks the man next to her.

"Very." Jason agrees, the others turn to see the two standing there, Zauriel moves past them before speaking.

"While I will not ask you, Jason Blood, to enter this place. I must insist on that… Raven does. But if you choose to, I will have to ask you not to deceive those who may be here."

Raven huffs once before walking inside, with no apparent effect on her. "Very well then." Jason sighs as he walks inside as well. Once inside what is known as the Atrium, a long and wide north-south orientated corridor decorated with many images of Christianity, Raven passes her boots to Nightwing before changing into her winged form, while Jason lets Etrigan out, neither of the two look particularly pleased. Raven gets a few stares from some of the Leaguers but waves them off while Etrigan wraps his cape around himself.

The group is mostly looking around itself as they walk up the Atrium, leaving the mounted statue at the south end to stare at their backs as they walk. Zauriel leads them past two sets of decorated bronze double doors on their right before stopping before a closed third one.

"Alas you are to see this place at dawn and not at its splendor at noon." The angel says before pushing the doors open, revealing the huge church beyond. From where they are standing, the Nave stretches away from them to the papal altar at the center of the room, lined along the way by the support columns of white marble that house a number of busts of saints with the arch's between them leading off to smaller altars. While the interior is slightly darkened, none of them are in any doubt the place is well lit when the sun has risen properly. Zauriel smiles slightly before he walks onto the marble floor with the decorated square tiles framed by white.

"_By the Gods, this place dwarfs the Palace on Themyscira."_ Diana says from inside, apparently awestruck by the sight. One look at Donna tells she is thinking along the same lines.

"_They way they paid for it helped cause the break in the church, which is ironic, considering the writings on the dome. 'From here springs the unity of the Priesthood.'" _Bruce replies as Raven starts walking, setting the first bare foot on the ground, she feels a slight tingling sense.

"_Wonderful, it will probably hurt." _She sighs inwardly as she follows the others inside; noticing Etrigan next to her is also showing signs of discomfort, if the twitch his left eye is anything to go by.

As the group walks slowly down the Nave, Zauriel allowing the visitors to awe at the many decorations, Raven can't help but notice that the tingling is increasing slightly, moving from just her feet to the rest of her.

"_My… Queen… please… take me from this place…" _Apollyon heaves in her head, the place having the greatest effect on him it seems.

"_You will endure."_ She sends back and keeps walking, the demon howls before retreating back into the depths of the sword.

"_He's in agony." _Shayera mentions.

"_He's vulnerable, if he was in his body, this place probably wouldn't faze him the slightest."_ Raven replies as they keep walking, at the last arch's Zauriel turns to the right to head through the Gregorian Chapel. As the pass under the dome, Etrigan stumbles to the ground, making the others stop.

"I… I cannot go on." He heaves while clutching his chest.

"Sure you can, come on." Raven says as she bends down and throws his right arm over her shoulder before lifting him to his feet, his large bulk proving no difficulty for her to lift. Neither of the two notices the slight smoke coming from them both.

"Zauriel is this necessary?" Kyle asks. "They don't look too good."

"Not for him Green Lantern, if needed you may take a seat." The angel replies before resuming his strides into the north wing that is lined with pew's facing the papal alter in the center. The others follow, some wondering how the place could affect the two so, when they feel nothing.

"Let me sit." Etrigan manages as they pass the second row of pew's.

"Ok, you just hang in there." Raven says as she puts him down, closest to the northwestern chapel the others are standing at the entrance to. By this point, Raven feels sore all over while leaving Etrigan to slump in his seat, she walks over to look over the shoulders of the others, finding Zauriel kneeling in prayer before a picture on the northern wall. One depicting an angle with a raised sword, while a firm foot placed on the back of a slightly red skinned man on the ground. Zauriel is speaking a language none of them can understand and which is like needles to Raven who grinds her teeth.

"You ok?" Nightwing asks.

"No, it's like nails on a blackboard." She replies with clenched teeth.

Zauriel prays for only a moment longer before rising to his feet and steps back.

"He has summoned someone." Fate says, behind them, the sun seems to raise its intensity for an unbearably bright moment that has Etrigan moan and Raven hiss in pain, before resuming its normal glow. Standing inside the chapel, before Zauriel, is another angel. This one with regular human skin color, long, curly blond hair and wearing a long robe that leaves his bare feet to poke out beneath it and his arms free. Like Zauriel, he is armed with a sword that hangs from his belt.

"Your prayer has been heard…" The angel starts before seemingly noticing the others and snaps his head towards them, his eyes widen considerably as he sports Raven and takes a deep breath.

"Duck!" Raven shouts before a black shield springs up before them as the angel lets loose a keening cry that has her shield buckle and crack under the assault.

"Michael, wait!" Zauriel says before moving to stand in front of the other angel as his cry ends. "This is the matter I wished to discuss."

"You brought that thing in here?!" Michael snaps angrily. "What madness is this Zauriel?!"

"Calm down and hear me out." Michael and Raven lock eyes for several seconds before they both turn away with Michael rubbing one eye. "You knew that would hurt, even you." Zauriel says, knowing what he had tried.

"Say what you have to Zauriel." Michael grumbles.

"I am in a state of confusion regarding a matter. As you, and Peter, undoubtedly knows, the seven souls of the founding member of the Justice League were, unjustly, severed from their bodies by the Spirit of Vengeance a number of weeks ago on this plane. Yet, they have all taken willing refuge within another." Zauriel begins, waiting for approval from the other angel to continue.

"Go on."

"I of course know the rules as they are laid down, they must now be with the Presence if they are worthy of its company. Yet I am hesitant to force this issue, as they have the possibility of returning to the living, but they need divine assistance to do so." Michael raises an eyebrow at Zauriel as he seems to study him, breaking off the glare he was sending Raven. "Assistance I have difficulty denying."

"So you call upon me for advice? Where is this vessel, I would see these souls."

"That would be me." Raven says, getting another surprised expression out of Michael before his eyes begin to glow, Raven feels like she was back on Oolong in the face of the nuclear reactor's explosion for a short second before a strange sensation comes over her. _"Guys?"_

"What is the meaning of this?" The group turns around quickly at the voice, finding the area behind them suddenly crowded by hundreds of blue phantoms, most wearing cloaks and hoods similar to Raven's.

"Hemon?" Raven asks in surprise as the ghost of the man pushes his way through the other ghosts who also begin to crowd around the chapel.

"My morning ceremony has been interrupted; I will wish to know why?" The man says as he pushes past them all to address Michael in person, apparently aiming to admonish the archangel as if it was one of his students.

"I see more than seven souls Zauriel, why do you fail to mention them?" Michael asks as he looks to his fellow, apparently caring nothing for Hemon's complaints.

"We have no need for mortal bodies." Hemon replies as he taps Michael's chest with the tip of staff before Zauriel can reply. "Why have you called us forth?"

Michael still doesn't reply, even if his facial expression reveals his own surprise, instead his wings carry him into the air and out of the chapel and hovers over the center of the north wing. "I come offering salvation, freedom from your entrapment, a chance to be with God. Take my hands and it shall be yours as your souls remain umblemished." He announces over the crowd of souls before landing amongst them, holding out his hands with a smile on his face. To his confusion, the spirits back away from him, they all do. Leaving him alone in a circle.

"None of us linger anymore because we were forced to." Hemon says as he steps through the crowd, followed by Arella who has her hood up. "We linger due to our own choice to do so. And none of Azarath worships a religion that has such volumes of violence on its conscience as yours. Leave us be." He says before turning away leading the Azerathians to the opposite side of the Basilica, soon his quiet words continue as he continues his ceremony. Arella remains as does the League, both living and spirits, she walk over to him.

"Why do you remain?" Michael asks regarding the woman in front of him who stares back at him. "Do you seek salvation?"

"I need none." Arella replies flatly. "My parents neglected me in favor of God, I long wondered if I made the correct choice by leaving them."

"Your past has been a dark one." Michael agrees. "Do you regret you abandonment of faith?"

"I found faith in Azerath, in Azar, I found peace there. While neither is no more, I still have faith, in my daughter." Arella continues before turning away to stand beside Raven.

"And you?" Michael asks the League phantoms. "You have all earned your rest."

"Gotham still teems with crime, my mission isn't over." Batman says as the first.

"My wife waits for my return." Superman says.

"As does my mother." Diana adds.

"I am in no hurry to leave this life." Shayera says flatly, John nods in agreement with her.

"I got a humongous barbecue waiting for me and my lovely Linda." Wally continues enthusiastically.

"While I long to see my family again after so long, I have made a promise to remain." J'onn says quietly.

"And you, demon?" Michael asks after a few seconds after J'onn, looking at Raven. "What is your gain in this? What lies have you woven around them?"

"Gain?" Raven asks I little surprised by his choice of words. "Friendship, acceptance… I hope, I have asked for nothing."

"I have a hard time believing that." Michael replies. "By all that is right, I should smite you." He says menacingly, a ripple pass through the heroes, none of them hesitate in bringing their weapons to bear on the angle.

"There is no need for that, but I appreciate the sentiment." Raven says from behind the others. "But he is not going to try it, not here at least." She says as she walks forwards to stand right before the archangel his eyes level with hers. "I can see what you are Michael, and I know what you can do, but I have promised them that I would find a way to bring them back. This world needs them alive, and I have orders to bring at least one of them back. And if you seek to prevent that, I will make you fight for it."

"They belong with God now, and you seek to prevent this." Michael replies while they engage in another staring contest.

"Says who?" Shayera asks angrily, surprising Michael. "I don't know what God you are talking about, this planet has many and my own people had their own. And as far as I am concerned, we get to choose where we belong, not some unspoken dictate."

"Or are you going to prove the Morningstar right regarding free will?" Raven adds with smirk, Michael's eye flare for a second at the mention.

"Do not mention him in my presence!" He sneers.

"Was he wrong?" Raven continues, unfazed by the anger on display. Michael's jaw muscles can be seen moving as he thinks before sighing heavily.

"Unfortunately not, and by heavenly decree it is so." He growls before vanishing in a flash of light.

"Didn't he forget something?" Oliver asks Zauriel.

"No." The angle sighs. "As I have taken permanent residence here, means I am subjected to the same rules, I must decide on my own and accept the consequences it brings my being." He says. "Which is good, for then it is my choice that I will aid you." He says after a pause, revealing a smile.

"So what was the point of all this?" Donna asks.

"He wished to see if Heaven had something grievous against his choice." Captain Marvel says.

"Correct, and we should get going, the early risers will be appearing soon." Zauriel says.

"Well, then, if you please." Raven says as she holds her hands out to the phantoms, who all take hold of her before disappearing. "Let's go get the others." She says.

"I think I will get him out." Kyle says pointing out Etrigan still slumping in his seat.

"Yes, that would be for the best, just don't let anyone see him." Zauriel agrees. Kyle nods before scooping Etrigan up in a green bubble and flies down the Nave while the others move to walk in front of the papal alter to get to the other side. Raven stumbles a little as they pass it, the smoke rising off her increasing drastically.

"Whoa kid, what's happening to you?" Oliver asks as Nightwing moves to support her.

"What do you think?" Raven replies in an annoyed tone. "I'll be fine." She continues as she holds onto Nightwing the same way Etrigan held onto her.

"Your feet." Donna notes as she also moves to help, noticing how Nightwing is quickly struggling with the weight and how Raven is leaving blackened footprints behind her that vanish after a few seconds of staining the floor.

"They will be fine, keep moving." Raven says with a strained voice, ignoring the fact her feet feel like they are on fire. It gets better as they get away from the altar, spotting the Azerathians at the far end of the south wing. Raven sighs at the sight of a group of men in long black dresses with high purple sashes and kalots all regarding the Azerathians.

"Zauriel, what is all of this?" One of the priests ask in a worried tone before he notices the others.

"Father, you are up early today." Zauriel replies quickly as he walks towards the group, passing through the Azarathians. "This is merely another congregation, one that was interrupted by one of my colleagues. Hemon, if you would lead your flock back?" Zauriel asks, knowing the High Priest was staring at him while preaching. The old man nods as he finishes.

"Yes, we must return. Come faithful." He says as they get up, and much to the priests surprise, head directly towards Raven; coming into contact with her before disappearing. Hemon is the last to reach her. "Apologies for not asking permission." He says before disappearing as well.

"Feels like a punch in the stomach each time." Raven says quietly to Richard and Donna.

"Well, let's get you out of here." He says as he starts guiding her around.

"Wait." The priest says as he walks quickly over to them. "Who are you?" He asks as Raven turns her head towards him. "For some reason, I think I know you two." He continues, meaning Richard and Raven who regard him as well.

"Jump City, Church of Saint Paul?" Richard asks as his trained mind recalls the face he had seen once.

It was in the middle of a storm, lightning had struck the spire of the church during mass. While Cyborg, Beastboy and Starfire were helping with guiding the attendees out, Raven and Robin had been searching the rest of the church. Richard had found him trapped in a room on the third floor as the stairway collapsed trapping the two, Raven had appeared and taken them to safety before the spire collapsed and brought down half the church. There had been no fatalities in the fire, but it had taken three years to rebuild the church and its interior, by then the other Titans had left the city.

"And you are, Robin and… Raven?" He says. "So the rumors were true."

"Unfortunately." Raven sighs as she changes back into her own skin. "But that was the only true one." The man just smiles at her.

"Your appearance matters not, go with God child." He says as he smiles, the two nod their thanks before turning to head down the Nave. "Zauriel, if you have the time, I would like to know what has become of her." He continues as Zauriel passes him.

"I am sorry Father, but I will have to get back to you later for that tale, when I myself know what has happened. But I shall return to you when I am done Father." Zauriel says before nodding and following the others out.

"Why do I have the feeling that; that Michael chap let us off easy?" Oliver asks as they assemble outside the Basilica.

"Because he's heaven's top general?" Raven adds as she grimaces as she puts one foot down before the other.

"Hold up Rae." Nightwing says as they stop, only for him to bend down and scoop her up.

"Whoa!" Raven manages as she grabs hold of him with both hands.

"Ah, I think we need to take you to a doctor with those feet." Atom notes at her bare feet.

"Is it bad?" Raven asks as the others look as well.

"I am surprised you could walk on those." Donna says as she also takes a look. "Much less not say anything."

"She is stubborn like that." Nightwing adds with a smirk.

"No I am confident in my own healing abilities, which will take care of it when we get back. Where are Kyle and Jason?" She asks as there are nothing resembling the Green Lantern in the square before them.

"Up here." Kyle says, the others look up to see him sitting on the edge of the Basilica with a large green ball beside him. "Jason is out."

"I believe he experienced something even Etrigan found unpleasant." Fate mentions, returning to study the second degree burns on Raven's feet and legs.

"Hardly surprising." Zauriel says as he exits the building. "But what kept you from collapsing like him, I do not know." He says to Raven.

"Human soul?" She asks.

"Possibly, but your infernal class may also have something to do with it." He says before noticing the blisters forming on her legs. "Allow me." He says letting a golden glow surround his right hand that shoots to Raven's legs, instantly making the burn wounds disappear.

"Hey I didn't know you could do that?" Oliver notes.

"I can't to normal wounds, but those were special and I did cause them, indirectly." Zauriel says.

"You can put me down now Nightwing." Raven says, as she is still in his arms.

"Oh right." He says quickly as if he had forgotten he was holding her before putting her down.

"But thanks for the effort." She adds once on her feet again. "Think Jason might need the same treatment though."

"Only on the skin that touched the ground." Zauriel says. "So where are we going and when are we doing this deed?"

"Due to the needed presence of a full moon, we will need to go to Stonehenge in two days time." Fate says. "Or we will have to wait for the next opportunity in six days time and journey to the Hidden Pyramid in Bolivia."

"Hidden Pyramid? Never heard of it." Barry says. "And I have been all over this planet."

"Well it is hidden." Marvel says. "But if I am not mistaken, that location is guarded."

"Indeed, and they don't like visitors." Fate agrees. "Which is why we must use Stonehenge, brave the Pyramid or wait seven days and use the Temple of Scath." Raven looks up at this.

"Not a place I want to go back to any time soon." She says as she puts on her second boot.

"What's wrong with it?" Donna asks.

"Scath is another name for Trigon." Raven replies. "Oh and the Phantom Stranger killed me there. It's a nexus of dark magic, and we risk bringing something else to life other than a few dead Druids."

"Dead Druids? This sounds better and better. Who are they?" Barry asks.

"The ones buried under Stonehenge." Fate says. "They might be disturbed by the ritual, but usually they are peaceful. Also Stonehenge is free of any anniversaries and mystical 'happening's."

"Sounds like the place is a magnet." Atom adds.

"All ley-lines and nexus's are." Marvel says.

"So shall we get going?" Kyle says as he floats down, as he touches down static fills the communicators in their ears.

"_Watchtower to Council."_ Captain Atom says. _"We have an unidentified bogey entering the atmosphere, no calls or anything; computer predicts it's heading towards Jump City."_

"Beam us up, we want visuals on it as fast as possible!" Nightwing says, receiving a short acknowledgement before the group disappears in a shimmering blue light.

* * *

**Authors Notes:** In case any of you were wondering, the comicbook version of Raven, with the aid of Zauriel, once helped a team of magically inclined heroes to get to Heavens Gates...unfortunately Heaven (or Michael the gatekeeper) wasn't willing to tolerate her presence and drove her off, telling the others that ofc they wouldn't allow Trigon's daughter to get that close.


	31. Jump City Invasion

_The Watchtower:_

"Where is it now?" Nightwing asks Captain Atom as they appear in the arrival hall.

"Directly over Titans Island." The metallic hero replies as he brings up a satellite image of the ship that covers the island and half of the bay. "So far it's quiet, but the City is calling in the army. Hold up, I got a ground image."

"Why did it have to be him." Raven mutters as Gary Lionwell's image appears on one of the screens, fortunately the sound is cut from the image.

"He's babbling about how the ship appeared out of nowhere." Atom continues.

"Flash, go find Starfire, I think this is something that has to do with her." Nightwing says, the man nods before blurring out of sight.

"Shouldn't we engage them?" Donna asks.

"No, they haven't proved hostile yet, but sound the alarm in case they are." Nightwing replies. The klaxons immediately begin blaring and costumed heroes begin running into the room, ready for action, amongst them Cyborg, Beastboy, Flash and Starfire with Cerberus on a leash. Raven stares at her dog that is sporting a pink collar and several pink ribbons tied to its ears and tail. The three quickly join Nightwing and the others.

"That is quite possibly the most disturbing sight I have ever seen." Raven remarks at her dog.

"Is he not wonderful?" Starfire asks happily, the dog however looks up at Raven with pleading eyes, obviously thinking it had done something wrong and was being punished for it.

"Star, does that ship seem familiar to you?" Nightwing asks directing her attention to the screen as Raven picks up her dog and relieves it from the ribbons.

"Why it is… the royal flagship of Tamaran?!" Starfire gasps as tiny dots appear to rise from the ship.

"Blackfire." Beastboy growls.

"Right, this time we need to send her a message that even she understands." Nightwing growls. "Captain, gets us all as close as you can to the combat zones."

"Got it." Captain Atom replies before he opens the emergency line to the station. "This is Captain Atom, this is an Alpha level threat, all Justice League personnel standby for emergency combat teleport in five… four… three... two… one."

_Jump City:_

"This is Gary Lionwell, Channel 6 reporting from the Titan Memorial Park, where I and many others have been witnessing the huge craft hovering over Titan's Isle for the last 5 minutes. So far we have yet to receive any form of communication from the alien spacecraft, but the question everyone here is asking, is this another woe brought onto us by the Teen Titans?" He says before turning to look at the strange craft bearing a sun-emblem and a stylized M imposed over it that mirrors the design of the Grand Rulers crown, as the only mark. Had Gary any knowledge of Tamaranian coat of arms, he would have known the sun meant the vessel belonged to the members of the House of Fire and that the crown meant it was the current Grand Rulers personal vessel. "Hold up something is happening." He says as a swarm of small dots begin to rise from the top of the craft all heading in different directions towards the city.

"RUN!" Gary cries as one of the dots is heading directly towards him, as it comes closer it is revealed to be three orange-skinned aliens with tall spears, dark cloaks and horned helmets. The three raise their free fists as they come closer, glowing red, green and blue before the starbolts are discharged from them, the first impacts blow up the statues of the Titans and sending the assembled crowd into a panicking stampede out of the park. Several unfortunates are hit in the back on their way out as the three begin firing on them instead.

"Stop that!" A deep voice says from above before one of the three tamaranians finds himself on the receiving end of a large metal hammer wielded by a heavily armored man. The two others find themselves similarly charged by a man dressed like a medieval knight wielding a sword riding while a winged horse.

The pattern is the same over the entire city, tameranian squads land and begin causing havoc only to be engaged by members of the Justice League or the local law enforcement, the National Guard still lingering in the city and even a few ordinary citizen join the fray with whatever weapons they happen to have near them.

In the Jump City Penitentiary, Rancid grows red hair and tears off most of his uniform before storming into the large group of tamaranians trying to get through his officers and into the prison interior. Despite his valiant effort it would have gone badly for him if Supergirl and Superboy had not appeared on the scene.

Over the city, Captain Atom, Booster Gold, Fire and Ice engage in a fierce battle to control the skies against several more opponents.

The McArthur suspension bridge linking the north and south half of Jump City comes under fierce bombardment from a host of assailants intent on bringing it down. They are met by most of the Shadowpact, formed in the Tower of Fate before going after the dragon's claw, having added Zauriel as a replacement for Raven and Etrigan who had been left on the satellite.

The dockyards also come under assault, resulting in several freighters and tankers beginning to take in water after becoming the targets of concentrated fire. Several of the aliens are blasted into the bay by a column of water courtesy of Tempest before the rest come under fire from Bumblebee and Vox. From beneath the waves Aquaman rises out of the sea on the back of a huge sea serpent as other creatures of the depths heed his commands.

Speedy, Green Arrow and Vigilante engage in a running battle against air born opponents from the rooftops in one of the older suburbs. While Red Star, Donna Troy and Cassandra Sandsmark find themselves defending the Wilson Mall that Starfire once frequented.

While several other sites are hit, amongst them City Hall, police stations, area's where many people gather, the tameranians are met by resistance of some kind at each location. Even the fore brooding Temple of Scarth is attacked, but the attackers are soon forced to flee as the ghostly guardians the Titans encountered years ago appear again and drives them off. The tightest knot of tamaranians appear at the site Starfire landed at all those years ago.

"I want this city in ruins! I don't care how you do it, get it done!" Blackfire barks into her head piece as she touches down. The twenty or so guards surrounding her begin blasting away at everything within sight.

"TITANS GO!" As the familiar shout is heard by the group in their tight formation is scattered by a green rhino that plows through their flank as blue glow fades.

Some of them come under fire from Cyborg's and Nightwing's weaponry which scatters them further, making them easy pickings for the huge green gorilla that pounces on them. Others find themselves assaulted by an enraged Starfire, whose fury makes her starbolts much stronger than usual.

Blackfire stumbles through the fog produced by Nightwing's grenades, trying to avoid drawing attention to herself, she is looking around her so much that she almost collides with Raven that is standing silently at the edge of the smoke screen.

"You!" Blackfire growls as her eyes begin to glow crimson along with her hands.

"Me." Raven confirms. "Star, want a word with her?!" Raven shouts into the fog.

"No thank you!" Starfire replies but remains unseen.

"Anyone else?!"

"All yours Rae!" Cyborg yells back.

"Heh, the cowards abandon you." Blackfire sneers with a smirk.

"No, they abandon you." Raven replies flatly.

"Guards!" Blackfire yells, Raven looks to the skies in time to see several more guards join the fray from above as they crash into her, carrying her through the outer wall of one of the buildings before retreating back out. "Weak." Blackfire confirms, as gasps ripple thought the still present crowd.

"You shouldn't have done that." Raven's voice rings out as Blackfire and her guards are about to turn away to deal with the other Titans. There is the slight sound of bricks moving before Raven steps out of the hole in the building, her horns and wings tearing at the ceiling and walls, getting even more gasps out of the crowd at her demonic appearance. "Now you've let out my bad side." She says before beating her wings and flies straight at the group of aliens, the impact alone sends several of them flying back, some crashing through shop windows, others smacking into concrete walls.

The remainders find themselves battling an opponent much stronger and faster than they are and one that keeps dodging and weaving out of the way of their attacks despite its size, even countering a few strikes without apparently seeing they would come. Blackfire herself is taken down temporarily this way by an elbow to her forehead that drops her on the ground.

Some of the guards begin thinking and draws back and begins firing starbolts at Raven, who's black aura absorbs enough of them to ignore the rest as she continues dismantling the others.

"Get the humans! Bury them!" Raven throws her opponents away at the order as several starbolt's causing the collapse of the façade of one of the brick buildings, beneath the falling masonry, to Raven's horror, stands a lost looking boy while everyone else flees.

Raven doesn't think before acting, she sprints across the street, managing to cover the child with her own body before the tons of bricks and glass bury them both.

"You ok?" Raven asks as she feels the pressure has stopped building while the small boy huddled under her while she supports the masonry above them with her back.

"I lost my mommy." The child sobs.

"What does she look like?" Raven asks, knowing from Robin that keeping calm and appearing calm was important to get the kid to stay calm as well. Also, she needed a moment herself to gather her thoughts before she could get them both out.

"She has brown hair and a blue jacket and brown pants."

"Ok, let's go see if we can find her?" She suggests.

"Can we get out?"

"Sure we can, just close your eyes, this will feel a little weird." Raven instructs before she teleports them both out onto the top of the pile, Raven having turned herself so that the child is sitting on her stomach while she is lying on her back, wanting to avoid he ended up on any broken glass. As their vision clears they find several people already digging into the pile of rubble, including a woman matching the description the kid gave her. "That her?" Raven asks as the kid also spots her. "Well, go to her." The kid and his mom meet half way, the woman half crying her relief as she scoops him up.

Raven gets up as well and works out the kinks in her back and neck before noticing the staring people. "Better move back everyone, it's not safe here."

"We know." A fat man with a blue and white striped shirt and red ball cap says. "Just go kick her ass, will you?" He asks, apparently not off put by her appearance, she just smiles before turning, hearing a cheer rising from behind her.

"Gotten stronger I see Beastboy, smellier too." Blackfire says as she wrestles with the huge gorilla.

"Sleep well at night?" He replies with clenched teeth before he rolls onto his back, carrying Blackfire with him before planting both feet in her midsection and sends her flying back.

"Better now I hope with the witch gone." She says as she lands on her feet, Beastboy just notices the huge shadow behind her in the smoke.

"The witch is still here." Raven's voice is enough for Blackfire to duck in time to avoid the fists that sails through the air where her head was. She quickly moves aside to have her assailant in her sights; Beastboy is occupied by another guard that tries to impale him through the chest with a spear. Seeing this Blackfire also quickly picks up a discarded spear and points it firmly at Raven as the smoke between them disappears. "Really? A spear?"

"Stay back vermin." Blackfire growls unsure what exactly she was facing.

"Well, that's rude. Let's see if Themysciran sword fighting techniques is a match for you." Raven shrugs as she reaches behind her and draws Shadowfury, setting herself ablaze to Blackfire's widening eyes. "Let's go."

"HAH!" Blackfire charges with the spear aimed squarely at Ravens chest, who meets the point with her own blade, twirling the spear around to end up with the two pressing against each other, Blackfire with the shaft of the spear against the flat side of Shadowfury at the pommel.

"What are you?" Blackfire growls as she strains against Raven who doesn't give an inch away, Raven just smiles at her.

"I'm Raven." She replies before pushing Blackfire back by lifting her weapon into the air, leaving Blackfire's midsection open to the foot Raven plants there, sending her flying backwards into a street light, bending it out of shape. While still holding onto the spear, Blackfire is quickly back on her feet. As Raven is advancing towards her, Blackfire makes a quick stab at her, impaling her left shoulder with a snarl.

"See how you like it." Blackfire sneers as she pushes forwards, getting a hiss out of Raven as the spear digs in.

"Let's see how you do." Raven sneers back after a quick estimate of the distance as her sword is raised before it falls, leaving a flaming tail behind.

Blackfire stops pushing as her eyes go wide, she lets the spear go to raise her trembling hands to her face as long as a diagonal line slowly appears at her right temple and makes its way down to her left jaw bone, deftly avoiding her eyes. It is as the appearance of the burnt skin that she sinks to her knees and screams I pain while clutching her face. Raven walks over to stand in front of her, getting Blackfire to look up at her with the tip of her sword for a short second before she lets her lower her eyes and slump down in defeat.

Satisfied that the fight is over, Raven looks once at the spear lodged in her shoulder before pulling it free with her left hand getting another hiss out of her as she lets her healing powers begin to work. Dropping the weapon, she looks around, spotting the other Titans standing among the fallen guards, silently observing her along with the rest of the civilians.

"Dude, you're supposed to say something right about now." Beastboy says as he elbows Cyborg in the side; the metallic man looks at him for a second in confusion before smiling.

"BOUYA!" The crowd erupts in cheers as Nightwing raises his communicator to his ear.

"Nightwing to Justice League, we have secured Blackfire, how are things at your end?" He gets a host of acknowledgements that people were either done or taking down the last few, before they are overwritten by the static of an incoming priority call.

"_Watchtower to Justice League, we have another bogey heading towards you, bigger than the first." _Nightwing doesn't recognize the voice, but assumes it is one of the orderlies trusted with the communication.

"You heard the man, finish up and regroup, they aren't going to wreck the rest of the city." Raven cuts in before Richard can, getting a host of acknowledgements.

"I shall bring my sister along shortly." Starfire announces and moves over to the crying woman on the ground.

3 minutes later the various members of the League and the former Titans are all flying towards the flagship still hovering over Titan's Isle, some under their own power others aided by their fellows before being deposited on the ship as the fliers wait in the sky as a ball of fire appears over the Pacific and heads directly towards them.

It takes it a good few moments before the fire dies away revealing a massive craft hundreds of times the size of the one carrying Blackfire. Had Starfire been with them, she would have told them that this ship was the pride of the original Tamaranian Space Fleet and that while its name in Taramanese had no adequate Earthly translation, the Citadel and Gordanian knew it simply as the Destroyer and for a good reason. While the smaller Flagship may have vaguely born the semblance of a sea bound vessel with a flat upper deck and rounded bottom, the new arrival is crescent shaped with the points of it facing forwards, but is otherwise flat. To the sharper eyed Leaguers they can see numerous hangar ports on the front of the thing along with what looks like cannons and missile batteries that emerge from under protective plates. As the ship draws closer its size leaves half of the McArthur Bridge and much of the northern part of the city in the shadows as it blots out the light of the sun before coming to a full halt over the bridge. A strange tongue emits from the larger craft, seemingly getting shouted at the heroes.

"Alright…" Nightwing starts recognizing the language.

"Wait!" Raven cuts in; "It's not us they are talking to. They are demanding the other ship to surrender as they have multiple target locks."

He heroes on the deck are instantly treated to the sight of several doors opening and scared looking tamaranians rush out of the ship only to find them covered by the League, quickly they all throw their hands into the air in defeat.

Donna begins ordering them to sit on their knees in lines with their hands on their heads as a single yellow beam is shot from the larger ship and onto the center of the deck of the smaller, there is a blur before five solid shapes appear in it before striding out. Two of the arrivals are clearly guards, the other two are dressed in red robes and carry electronic note pads. The last is at least twice the size of the others, easily reaching 250kg in bulk, he has thinning gray specked red hair, of which most is made up by his beard and the crown on his head barely covers the bald area behind it.

Nightwing and the Titans recognizes him instantly, which makes it all the more surprises them to see him, considering the last they heard; Galfore was dying. But the huge tamaranian looks to be far from death, he has more scars on his exposed arms and his left hand is missing, leaving the stump encased in a silver cover.

"It seems we arrive too late to assist." He says as everyone stares at him, some in unease, while he looks at the smoke rising from the city.

"Whoa, Galfore is that you man?" Cyborg asks in surprise.

"Aye, it is I, friend of Princess Starfire." The Grand Ruler replies as he spots the speaker walking towards him, a slight wave of his right hand has the guards freeze. "I see you and her green friend, but where are the other two? And where is the Princess?"

"Well the guy in black and blue in front of you is Robin. Raven should be landing right about now." Cyborg replies just as Raven touches down next to Nightwing, Galfore seems slightly surprised at her appearance but covers it quickly. "Star should be bringing her sister along at some point."

"I see it is you I have to thank." Galfore says to Raven as he studies her.

"Oh?" She asks.

"When you collapsed the ceiling in the palace, you ruptured the power feeds that kept me imprisoned on the floors above you. When I emerged from my prison, I found a great many of our people in dissatisfaction about the current state of affairs. They told me how a being with four eyes and red skin had captured the former Grand Ruler. When I heard that a group of humans had escaped with the Princess and the Grand Ruler, I reasoned it must have been you four. After a brief coup, I sent out scouts to locate where you may have gone after hearing about the fleet that followed you out. One scout returned with reports that you had received aid from the Green Lanterns and left Blackfire on Oa. I know not how, but somehow the remnants of those loyal to her found this out as well and quickly seized the ship we now stand on and collected her before we had the chance. And so the hunt began for them, ending here." He explains.

"So you weren't dead at all?" Beastboy asks.

"No green one, it was a vile rumor started after I was captured by Blackfire's rebels and mercenaries. The beast kept me in a cell within earshot of the Princess, but she could not hear me. But enough about me; where is the Princess? I thought she had died when I would no longer hear her? How is she?"

"Thanks to my friends, I am perfectly fine." Starfire says from above as she floats down with a smile on her face and with Blackfire slung over her shoulder who her hands and feet tied up with what Nightwing guesses is electrical wires. Starfire lands to the gasps and mutterings of a few of the other tamaranians and a groan of pain as Blackfire is dropped on the ground. Galfore and Stafire stare at each other for several seconds before engaging each other in hugs and cries of happiness. The other Titans can only smile at the pair.

After several minutes of reunion joy they are ready to part again. "Oh, I had thought you were lost to us Princess. I must know all that has happened, but not before our mess is returned to where it belongs." He says looking at Blackfire who has kept her face on the ground since being dropped. The guards behind him take this as a hint and swiftly moves to pick up Blackfire, forcing her to stand up, revealing the X-shaped scar running across her face, one a fine line of a cut wound, the other a burn wound. Nightwing raises an eyebrow slightly at the sight guessing where the other line came from, but chooses to ignores it. "I see this world is as pleased about your actions as our own. Take her to her 'room'." Blackfire looks up at the mention, but doesn't say anything before the guards and she disappear in the yellow beam. "Now, who commands this force?" He asks and looks at the heroes.

"That would be friend Nightwing, mostly." Starfire quips.

"Ah." Galfore says turning to face the man. "With your permission, I would like, on behalf of my subjects to make amends for the havoc our people have caused this city."

"There are many of those Blackfire brought with her that are still in the city, I think we only need to get them out." Nightwing says after a few seconds, thinking that right now, more tameranians will only cause more turmoil than needed.

"And they shall be retrieved, if you lead us to those you can." He says as a great many shapes emerge from the larger ship and heads out into the city.

"Nightwing to Leaguers with flight, assist the arrivals in locating the previous hostiles." He says and most of the Leaguers split up, Raven nods at them and takes off as well along with Beastboy.

"Come Galfore, I wish that you see this city that was my home for these years apart!" Starfire exclaims happily, tugging on his arm.

"And so we shall, if permitted?" He replies while looking at Nightwing.

"I doubt it will be a problem." Nightwing replies as a large platoon of tameranians land on the deck of the ship to herd the captives away.

With that, the reunited depart, while the heroes assist in herding the defeated tamaranians into the custody of their fellows. The city is in the beginning worried about the appearance of more tamaranians, but they are slowly calmed when they see the League directing them to the attackers and the sometimes rough treatment they dish out to those who try to hide or resist.

While this is happening Starfire is busy pointing out everything she can remember about Jump City to Galfore, visiting many of her favorite places and introducing Galfore to some of Earth dishes and clothing articles. Beastboy later swore he had seen them at some point, where Galfore was eating an ice-cream cone and wearing a large green floppy hat.

The rest of the day proceeds this way and well into the evening before the last sweep of the city is concluded and the remaining tamaraninans withdraw to their ships. The League permits them to dock at the Watchtower before they begin their journey home. Raven excuses herself and heads off to sleep; since she has two days of preparations before the evening of the ritual.

_Later that night, Raven's mind:_

"Hopefully this is that last time we were going to do this." Raven says to the Founders as she appears for the nightly training session.

"You sound relieved." John notes.

"Well, I prefer you alive." Raven shrugs with a smirk, she wouldn't tell them, but she was looking forwards to a little internal peace. "And you all seem downhearted?" She notes at them.

"I think we have grown accustomed to this place." Superman says.

"But it will be good seeing the sun again." Diana adds.

"How about you Bruce?" Raven asks, noticing the man is unusually quiet.

"It will be good seeing Gotham again." Raven smirks slightly at the admittance, she guesses he would have preferred that she had stayed there some more. "You?"

"It will be weird that you suddenly aren't in here anymore, but I think I can manage." She replies.

"I was wondering; if this is to be our last night in here, perhaps we should forego sparring and instead talk?" J'onn asks, getting the others to look at him.

"Actually that sounds like a good idea, there must be some stories we can share." Wally says.

"Sounds good to me." Shayera adds.

"Think the only one here that would miss it is you Bruce?" Superman says, the man looks at them for a long second before replying, long enough for some to wonder if he was going to yell at them to get training.

"A single night can't hurt." He says with a slight smirk to the chuckle of the others. They end up talking; swapping stories, for almost three hours after Raven assured them that it wouldn't affect her. Mostly the stories are humorous, but Bruce does throw in a few darker ones. It didn't escape anyone's notice that he and Diana inched a little closer to each other during the time.

The following day is filled with studying for Raven and those taking part in the ritual, making sure everything is ready and a general state of anxiety for Raven, which she pointed out was because in case it all fell to the floor despite all their efforts. The tamaranians elected to stay a little longer on the station, after being granted permission. Galfore had somehow arranged with the mayor of Jump City that they could come and assist in cleaning up the damage.

By the time the mages were set to leave Fate's Tower the following day to retrieve the bodies from the Watchtower, Ravens nervousness had her stomach twist and knot itself, which a short round of meditation helped cure before they departed for the Watchtower and then; Stonehenge.

* * *

**Next ****up: The Dance Macabre**


	32. Dance Macabre

"_That is a sight I don't want to see again."_ Wally says from inside Raven as his own limp body is placed by Jason and Zauriel on the lid of the box it had been transported in.

"_Hope it was Donna or another woman that dressed me."_ Diana notes since she had been redressed into her armor.

"_I am sure it was done with every ounce of respect they could muster."_ Raven sends inward as she looks away. So far there are only the five of them needed to cast the spell present here in the night at Stonehenge; herself, Jason, Zauriel, Fate and Zatanna, they had specifically asked to keep the number of witness' low out of fear of something unwanted happening. The secrecy has been enforced by a barrier Zatanna has erected so people driving by on the nearby freeway wouldn't see anything suspicious.

While Fate and Zatanna busy themselves with inscribing the correct symbols in the grass and placing the ingredients where they need to be. Jason and Zauriel have been picking the bodies out of their containers and placing them on the lids inside the innermost circle of stones, while Raven had the task of setting up the artificial lighting they had brought along and generally calm herself, which is she having a miserable time of doing. Fortunately the first arrival makes a point of being heard from a distance.

"So you guys almost set?" Nightwing asks as he pokes his head inside.

"Other than I am about to go into a cardiac arrest? Yes, I think we are peachy." Raven replies and gets a nod from Fate in agreement. "What are you doing here?"

"You didn't think I'd miss this?" Nightwing replies with a smirk.

"Mind you this can still end up on its face." Raven sighs, feeling others draws close and heads out to greet them.

"Her Majesty would be disappointed." Philipus says as she meets her followed by Donna.

"That she would sister, which is why I hope you haven't invited her along as well?" Raven replies

"We haven't, don't worry." Donna adds.

"Hey, did we miss anything?" Kid Flash says as he suddenly appears with a shell-shocked looking Jinx holding onto his back and her legs wrapped around his stomach and her hair standing almost horizontally out behind her head.

"No, you are just in time." Raven replies. "Actually you are ahead of time." She remarks as the ritual hasn't begun yet, which was the time she'd have preferred they'd all arrive.

"_Well he is from the 30__rd__ century."_ Wally adds as Jinx shakes her head, realizing they had stopped.

"I told you not to go so fast!" The pink haired sorceress says before slapping Bart on the back of the head.

"Ow! Well I have to or we would sink into the Atlantic!" He complains as she crawls off to reset her horns.

"So who else is coming that you know of?" Raven asks Nightwing.

"Well I expect Gar and Vic to show up, Star said she would come as well, other than those, I don't know." He shrugs as Fate walks over to them.

"Raven, it's time." He says as he comes within earshot, getting a nod from her.

"Well, let's all hope this all plays out right, wish us luck." She says before heading in between the standing stones after Fate, discarding her cloak on one of them on the way and a moment later the artificial lighting is turned off.

"Hey there party people!" A voice has them all turn around, seeing a man and a woman dressed in seasonal clothes for the area, but the light from the moon makes it hard to tell what exactly, but they can tell he is blond and she is wearing a white mask the covers the left-half of her face. They are carrying an assortment of items in a basket as if they are picnicking. "Oh, you aren't here for the moon?" He asks.

"What are you doing here Sam?" Nightwing asks with an annoyed tone while he hears mumbling from within the stones.

"We are here to enjoy a little moonshine picnic, come my dear." He says before walking around the ancient standing stones to the south side where they disappear from sight, Nightwing sighs.

"Who was that?" Donna asks, looking after the couple.

"Someone I guess we just have to tolerate." Nightwing replies. "Guess now is the time we stay quiet." He says as the sounds of chanting begins, speaking the words in an ancient tongue none of them understands before two other voices begin chanting other lines of different languages and finally a 4th adds itself as well.

"Look they are doing it." Donna whispers spotting the bodies of the Founders begin to twitch and move, as Cyborg, Beastboy and Starfire appear in the darkness, dragging Galfore along,.

"No sister, they are only starting." Philipus whispers as the bodies lurch drunkenly to their feet, heads hanging loosely to their sides.

"Shhh, keep it down." Nightwing whispers quickly, looking at Starfire who was about to greet them in her usual loud manner.

As they watch from where they stand, they can only see parts of the ritual because of the stones blocking the view. But they can see the small flashes that happen once in a while in different colors.

"Dude that is messed up." Beastboy whispers to Cyborg as they see Raven gently grab the sluggish Wally and begin to Waltz with him, or something that looks like a Waltz and a slow one at that.

After several moments with him, she leaves him to dance alone as if she was still there, while she moves to repeat the dance with Diana before moving on, also leaving the Amazon Princess to dance alone. Most of them are certain that it is Batman she is dancing with now as they think they see a glove with a three scallops.

Completing the round with all the Founders, the bodies begin circling the center, still dancing, still accompanied by the chanting and Raven again switching from partner to partner, gliding effortlessly into their steps. Like the Founders she seems completely unaware of her surroundings and her own doings.

"She is in a trance." Philipus whispers.

"Oh uh, trouble?" Cyborg whispers the others turn to look at what he's seeing, seeing many blue ghostly figures make their way up the hill surrounding them, at first It is hard to see what they are, but as they come close they can see it is the ghosts of men from a long lost age, dressed in scraps of leather or animal hides with many other bits of animals or other trinkets hanging off them. "What are they?"

"Druids, I think." Philipus says as she regards them. "They don't seem hostile." She continues as the group spreads out to form a circle around the monument, leaving the group on the inside.

"We have been summoned to facilitate the ritual." A voice says behind them sounding as if coming from the ground beneath them, making them turn around to find the ghost of a familiar figure in an unfamiliar long robe. If the face wasn't familiar, the tattoo on her chest is.

"Argent?" Nightwing whispers, not really believing he was really seeing the ghost of his old friend.

"Argent?" The ghost replies as if the name was unfamiliar to her. "Oh yes, sorry, my mind is not as fast any more. How are you guys doing?" She asks, not once breaking off the vacant stare in her eyes.

"Umm, we are fine." Beastboy says, getting her to turn to him. "But what are you doing here?"

"I once defended this site from a threat, when I was done, the Druids offered me a deal that would happen the day I died. Guess I am dead… at least I don't hurt anymore." The spirit sighs. "Didn't you know?"

"We did." Nightwing says. "Who did it Argent? Who did all that too you?" He asks remembering the details of the autopsy he had read through, Argent looks up at him for several long moments before replying.

"It doesn't matter to me anymore." She says. "We are about to begin, I must go." She says before turning away.

"Argent, please, if not for you, then for us?" Nightwing says after he has moved to get in front of her again, she looks up at him, still vacant in her stare.

"I only remember… he laughed… such a horrid laugh…" She says before walking right through Nightwing who stands mortified in realization.

"No… not him." He whispers under his breath before turning, finding no trace of Argent amongst the ghosts standing in the line there.

As he scans the dead, they begin chanting as well in a new language, like Argents voice, their chanting seems to come from the earth under their feet rather than from the spirits themselves. Nightwing sighs heavily and turns his attention back to the ritual, that now seems to have picked up speed as dancers twirl around and the chanting has picked up pace.

With the addition of the Druids chanting, a new element enters the ritual as a pale blue light washes over the land, giving the ghostly impression of a much larger complex than what Stonehenge appears as today, previously unassuming rock formations a mile away begin to glow, forming mystic symbols, while huge stones appear in the blue light making the entire area look as if it was a city, with Stonehenge at its center. There are five of the symbols and their light lifts off the ground and begins to drift towards Stonehenge, going from pale blue to shining white as they come closer, halting over the ghosts.

"Is that not a thunder cloud?" Donna whispers to Philipus as she spots a single rapidly approaching cloud in the otherwise clear night sky, its rumble provides the answer to her question.

"Am I the only one who don't like that?" Cyborg whispers as the cloud slows down to hover directly above them.

"Nothing we can do about it, possibly a part of the ritual." Nightwing sighs as the cloud rumbles again as thin lightning begins playing over the stones, Cyborg consults his scanners on his arm. "Anything?"

"Plenty, touch those and you'll drop dead." Cyborg shrugs as the dance continues.

Nothing more is added for the next couple of minutes besides the lightning from the cloud becomes thicker and Raven stops appearing periodically as she had previously done, it has Nightwing moves around to see if he can get a better view, finding one he waves the others over, where they can see Raven hang motionlessly in the air in the center of it all, looking at the ground, as several small blue phantoms composed of smoke move from her an to the still dancing founders.

As the phantoms reach their designated bodies, Raven throws her head back to stare directly into the cloud before adding her own voice to the chanting, instead of the quiet way they others are doing it in, she is shouting forcibly and her own energy is washing over her.

"Ezzair! Arazim! Azar! Ezzair! Arazim! Azar! Ezzair! Arazim! AZAR!" At her final shout, the phantom's sink into the bodies as a tremendous blast of lighting turns night into day for a second for the spectators before they are flung away by the sudden pressure.

As they get up, they can see the ritual is over, as everything is quiet again, mostly. There are no chants and no lights, the cloud is gone, as are the ghosts. Bart is the first one up and inside the circle of stones.

"Hurry, they need help!" He shouts as he moves inside, finding the mages lying slumped against the stones, the Founders are also lying against the stones, every one of them emitting a slight whiff of smoke. Richard is at a point of sudden panic when he can see no trace of Raven except a single boot.

"Get them grouped up, and gather any of the materials that might have survived and prepare for transport. I need to find Raven." At Nightwing's mention of the name a laughter rises from the southern part of the hill belonging to a man. Nightwing quickly runs out of the circle to see what the laughing matter is about before planning on planting his foot in the laughing mans mouth.

He finds them half way down the hill, but the dark and his ruined nightsight is making it hard to see anything, so Nightwing pulls out a flashlight and shines it on the scene. Sam is rolling around on his back, having lost himself to his mirth. Mekela on the other hand is wearing a shell-shocked expression on her face that is covered in what looks like thick blood that slowly runs down her masked face. The last person present is Raven who lies unmoving on her back in front of Mekela where she landed with smoke rising off her.

Nightwing quickly moves to her side and checks her pulse, finding she is alive, but unconscious. As he looks up, he notes that it seems not to be blood covering Mekela's face but something else, something that is confirmed when he slips a hand under Raven, bumping into something he guesses was a pie of some sort.

"Oh… Oh that was hilarious…you should have seen it!" Sam howls. "We just like this." He says while making a kissing mouth shortly. "Then she comes flying like that… SPLAT! RIGHT BETWEEN US!" He continues howling with laughter as Nightwing sighs as he lifts up Raven.

"Well I hope it proved amusing." Nightwing says before scaling the hill again, leaving the fallen angle behind with his girlfriend.

_Later:_

There is a series of flashes for Raven before she suddenly finds herself standing in the infirmary wing of the Watchtower, with her is Jason, Fate, Zatanna and Zauriel, together they are watching orderlies dress the founders occupying the cots in their uniforms. Raven has a monstrous sense of dread that the Founders are dead, and that it is somehow her fault.

"I don't believe it, with all the stuff we had to do… and we lost them." Zatanna sighs, sounding heartbroken.

"Such rituals are always dangerous and prone to failure, no matter the casters and the precautions." Jason adds.

"Indeed, it might have been a minor detail and we overlooked." Fate continues.

"What went wrong?" Raven asks.

"The final part of the ritual was not implemented before the blast." Zauriel replies. "The touch of a soul torn between Heaven and Hell." He says as he puts a hand on her shoulder, the slight tingling sensation as he squeezes has something enter her mind.

"This isn't real." She realizes as she turns to face him. "Only you...why?"

"Very astute." Zauriel notes. "It is because the situation is real, or will be shortly; the complete ritual was never recorded as Shazam believed it to be. He knows of its creation and how it was to be cast, but the Agent of Hell the sorcerer enlisted for the first casting, corrupted the design having demanded to see it before pledging his aid, leaving Shazam to record an incomplete ritual. Lucifer Morningstar also made sure Shazam was never aware of the corruption, out of a concern that Hell would be cheated of its share of souls, should the spell be known to others. What I just mentioned is the missing piece needed to make the full ritual take permanent effect. But now time is up the essence, we have been unconscious for some time and if you do not enact this final piece of the ritual, the Founders and the rest of us will leave this plane for good." The angel explains to her growing confusion. "Now you must awaken, or all your hard work will yield only bitter harvest." He continues before Ravens mind is again bombarded by light.

Raven awakens with a gasp in an empty room, drenched in sweat and with an aching, confused mind. Despite the pain, her mind works quickly to pinpoint her location to be the Watchtower, in the warded room she had spent so much time in now, throwing off her blanket she quickly put on her boots and cloak that she finds slung over a chair next to her bed and heads outside almost colliding with someone in the doorway.

"Whoa Raven! Welcome back, I was just about to check on you." Raven is confused at Mid-Night's words as she is by his expression and the collision.

"How long was I gone?" She asks as the angel's words continue to play over in her head.

"A week, given us a few scares too, are you ok?" He asks carefully noticing the confusion in her eyes.

"I feel fine, why?" She continues.

"Ah, what is the last thing you remember?"

"I was dancing, there wasn't any music but a lot of talking… I think, but I can't make out the words spoken." She admits wondering if the dream was real or not.

"Well, I will have you know that you took a lightning bolt at point blank range that blacked out most of south west England. Are you sure you are ok?" He asks noticing she is looking for something.

"Did it work?" He seems to regard her for several seconds before replying.

"Come see for yourself." He says before leading her into the opposite room, finding the Founder all in separate beds, along with Dr. Fate, Zatanna, Jason and Zauriel. "They are stable but completely out cold for the entire week, nothing seems to be getting through to any of you." He says as Raven studies them. "I can't explain why they aren't coming too, as there is nothing wrong with them, neither can Michael or any of the others we have had up here to look at you guys."

"Where is everyone else?" Raven asks having noticed the absence of people.

"Sleeping, this is the stations skeleton hour. Do you see anything unusual about them?" He asks as he notices Raven is studying them all intently, seemingly having moved past what he thought would quickly result in her passing out again.

"Yes, I think I know what is missing. A wake up call." She replies as the weird conversation she had with Zauriel in her dream replays itself once more, somehow adding a visual thought of what Zauriel meant.

"A what?"

"Just watch." Raven says before sitting down in the center of the room, floating over the floor as the court's move to form a circle around her with the patients' heads pointing towards her. "I have one last thing to do to seal the deal, basically. It should bring the others about as well." She explains.

Her eyes turn black and her soul-self rises over her to fly three times over the beds before settling on her back and spreads its wings, forming visible feathers as it slowly turns around itself, gently dragging the tips of the feathers over the faces of the bedridden, turning a complete circle before sinking back into Raven.

"Huh? What was that?!" Shayera asks suddenly as she bolts upright looking around herself in confusion. The others begin groaning and sits up as well. "It really worked?" She asks in amazement as she studies her own body.

"I haven't felt like this since my one and only night drunk." Superman says as he rubs his head.

"Feels like the last time I was drunk." Diana admits doing the same as Clark.

"Ha ha, funny Diana, since when do you drink? Ow…" Wally sighs before falling back onto his bed after sitting up too fast. "Speedforce make that go away please."

"You'd actually be surprised about that." Raven says in a tired voice behind them, making most of them turn.

"Damn Raven, could have warned us it would be this rough and we might have stayed." John says halfheartedly. None of them have so far noticed Mid-Night quickly withdrawing to make a call.

"What time is it?" J'onn asks as he rubs his eyes in an oddly human fashion, as if someone had awakened him with a flashlight, which is odd since he has often been seen asleep while standing up and with his eyes open.

"Skeleton hour, we have been out a week." Raven replies.

"Remind me to clear the calendar next time we have to do this." Zatanna groans as she rubs her head.

Batman groans slightly as well as he gets off his bed, while his legs shake a little, he forces himself to stand. "Raven?"

"Yes?"

"Damn good job." He says with a slight smile that is returned by Raven as Mid-Night reenters the room, followed by a host of doctors. "And now the fussing begins." The others snicker at this as they are all tended to.

"So, just exhausted on different levels?" Clark asks as the doctors finish their examinations half an hour later and are going over the results.

"Pretty much it, you have been in a freezer for weeks after all and a week here, you should expect some weakness. And knowing you I won't bother ordering a week's rest, but I will advise it." Mid-Night replies as he goes over the results again.

"I think a week, sounds like a good idea. So how many knows we are back?" Wally asks.

"Only the people in this room, I promised I'd call in case of development, why?" Mid-Night replies.

"Oh no...!" Raven says waving her hands in front of her as the scarlet speedster looks at her with an amused smile creeping across his face, knowing exactly what he was thinking.


	33. Many Happy Returns

"I can't believe you talked me into this." Raven grumbles as she approaches her destination during the early morning hours of Central City.

"_Relax, it will be fun."_ Wally replies.

"For you." She notes under her breath, as she lands on Wally's driveway in time to see Linda exit her front door with a cup of coffee and a stack of paper in her hands. "Miss West?" Raven asks, startling the woman.

"Oh Jesus, don't do that!" She says as she jumps away from the door.

"I got someone who would like to talk with you." Raven says without missing a beat, opening a portal besides her and Wally steps out.

"Hi honey, miss me?" He asks.

"Wa…Wally." Linda gasps as she drops her coffee and papers, Wally moves fast enough to save the papers, but lets the coffee fall. "WALLY!" Linda shouts as she leaps into his arms, making him drop the papers again. As the two engage in a kiss, Raven smiles before she disappears behind them, there are others who requested the same sort of surprise. "God I've missed you."

"And I have missed you most of all, but I am back, all thanks too…". He says while turning around finding the spot empty, getting a snicker out of Linda.

"She disappeared while you weren't looking, come on, I am definitely taking the day off for this." She says before dragging him inside the house. A split second later the papers and the cup disappear as well.

Lois Lane is sleeping peacefully in the Metropolis apartment that has felt so empty these last weeks to her. Unlike Clark, who is a natural light sleeper due to his hearing, Lois is the opposite and Clark usually has to get her breakfast or something else to get her up on the few days they agree to take off and let newspapers be newspapers, which is one of those days. Which is fortunate for the shadow that creeps over the floor and into her closet for a few seconds before coming back out, only for it to creep over to the bed. Lois manages a surprised yelp at the sudden cold as she also disappears.

"Whoa!" Lois cries as she is dropped, landing in the arms of someone apparently somewhere in the middle of the night as the moon is still in the sky and the air smells of countryside.

"Yes honey, you are actually in Kansas right now." The man holding her says, making her focus on him.

"CLARK!" She cries in recognition and embraces him. "Oh, don't ever do that!" Behind the in the house a light is turned on.

"Express Delivery honey." Says as he waves to the sky, knowing the recipient is long gone before picking up the bag that landed beside him along with Lois.

"What's going on out here?" Jonathan Kent asks as he appears in the doorway behind them.

"Hi Pa, mind if we stay for a few?" Clark asks as he turns around.

"_I didn't think you'd want to make a spectacle out of it."_ Raven says to the last person she is dropping off as she appears in Themyscira's market square in the midday sun much to the surprise of the Amazons there.

"_I don't often get the opportunity to do it to her."_ Diana replies, as Raven folds back her hood and begins marching up towards the palace, ignoring the looks she receives along the way. Arriving at the palace, she is quickly provided with an escort of eight of the Royal Guard who follow her inside. _"Wonder if you could take them?"_

"_I hope I never have to find out."_ Raven replies as she is escorted inside the throne room to face Hippolyta who remains stone faced as she sees Raven appear alone, but Raven can tell she is quickly descending down a spiral of grief and rage.

"I see you have returned… alone." Hippolyta says, struggling to keep an even voice and Raven goes down on one knee before her.

"My Queen, know that this… is all Diana's idea." Raven says as a portal is opened besides her that grows in size to let Diana stroll casually out of it, with a wide smile on her face.

"Hello mother, you look as radiant as ever." Diana greets cheerfully, still remembers the numerous ways she tried to figure out how to explain herself while returning the Themyscira for the first time after she stole the armor.

Hippolyta nearly falls out of her seat, as she drops her staff and rushes down the stairs to grab Diana in a hug that lifts her off the ground. "Diana! By the Gods my prayers have been answered!" She cries happily as Diana returns the hug the best she can.

"You can stand up now sister." Diana says noticing Raven is still kneeling, which she stops doing as Hippolyta separates herself from her daughter to regard Raven anew for a few seconds before Raven also finds herself embraced by the monarch, which to her reminds her of one of Starfire's sort of hugs.

"I am most honored you would join us Sister." Hippolyta says, after she pulls away again. "And I will hear of your labors to make my dreams come true, before I pass sentence."

It takes a good two hours before Hippolyta is satisfied, if not a little shocked at the events Raven had to go through to bring Diana and the others back. Often asking the pool for repeats of certain events, such as the revelation of Raven's winged form which was swiftly followed by a demand to show it. Also the battle with Black Adam and the siege of Talazzarr comes under careful scrutiny. As a ruler, she is quite pleased to see Philipus come into her own during the cavalry charge. Hosts of questions follows, who the people were that Hippolyta did not know, it took some explaining to whom Sam was, why Raven chose to sing such terrible music and a great many questions directed at the demons below.

Diana did not escape scrutiny either, but her questions tended more towards behavior, which Raven could tell was mildly embarrassing for the princess. Also Hippolyta demanded a description of Azerath and its people from her, which was listened to with great care as the Azerathian's now lived the life the Amazons one day hoped to achieve, once freed of their charge. Thought Hippolyta admits they had perhaps lived this way for too long to change their way of life. Finally she expressed a desire to one day perhaps visit Azerath. Diana had a single counter to her mother's many questions, which was whispered in her ear and left her staring holes in the wall for several seconds before admitting that it was true and that Mr. Garrick was a nice man, though not as hard on the battlefield as she would have wished him. It had not escaped either of the two, that as soon as Diana had been revealed, a scribe had quickly and discreetly taken up a seat near the columns and begun writing with a large feather and ink.

"Now, there is the matter of judgement." Hippolyta says as the two now stand before her. "As I said weeks ago, I still saw failure in your deeds." Raven appears emotionless at the mention. "Yet you have yet to ask, what I was that I saw."

"I have yet to completely grasp the laws and codes of conduct I must follow." Raven admits. "But I trust your judgement is true."

"Never mindlessly obey an order young one, when I visited Man's World all those years ago, I heard the tales of commanders that needlessly had their men march to their graves, and none of them were to have questioned their wisdom." Raven is silent for a second going over Hippolyta's words.

"What is my flaw then, your Highness?"

"The first flaw will be your personal rejection of the Zandian diplomat's offer. Let me finish." Raven quickly shuts her mouth again as she was about to protest. "While it is true that we are strong in our faith, we are not to appear to be immune to the advances of others. Now, what was it you wished to say?"

"Call it part of my upbringing your Highness, but the Church of Blood is not something that should be spread. With your permission, I will bring forth one who was once a believer." Hippolyta nods before Raven's features change those of Arella who bows slightly before Hippolyta.

"What is your name?" Hippolyta asks.

"I am Arella." She replies. "And it was true, I was once a faithful of the Church of Blood. I was young, homeless and desperate for company. They gave me that when I unknowingly sought refuge in their church. They preached peace and love to me, of a benevolent god that would lead his chosen to paradise on the anniversary of his child's birth. The truth however, was another. I was chosen to be his bride, to carry his prodigal child. That night I learned what he truly was and I fled after he burned the church and his believers to the ground."

"And what was he?" Hippolyta asks.

"He was Trigon, and the night I speak of, was the night I began carrying Raven."

"I see, we will heed your warning. But Arella of Azerath, you need not feel shame from your child." Arella smiles slightly at this.

"Thank you your Highness, it has been a long time since I have felt shame because of her." She says before Raven resumes her own shape.

"But now I ask, with the fiend swimming in Styx, where do the Zandian's prayers go?" Hippolyta asks.

"I do not know your Highness, I fear if I reveal myself to them, they will turn to me, if they know of his demise."

"Hmm, and what do their practices include?"

"Blood sacrifices amongst others, donated by the faithful, but I have heard rumors of it being taken from other, less willing, sources." Hippolyta nods at this.

"Very well, we shall have it recorded as a foul cult for future reference, but remember all suggestions must be taken home in case of them being genuinely useful. Now the second flaw, as you mentioned yourself, the lack of urgency of which you reached my daughter. Now I know you took the throughout approach and left none to threaten your backside as you advanced, even took time to aid your unfortunate companions. But I wish to know if you could not have prevented the mistreatment of Diana by being faster?"

"I could have, but I feared the captives would have been used against me when I had to return with Diana. At the time of my decision I knew not how long I had been out or in what condition Diana would be in. If you will forgive me for saying so, Diana may have been lost for all I knew and had I rushed to find her leaving everyone else behind, many more lives could have been lost."

"Hmm, I see. Now the last flaw, our coliseum lies in ruins because of you." She says sternly. "We believed an earthquake had struck the island and the tremors were felt across it. Now this is my sentence;" She says as she stands up while Raven and Diana go down on one knee. "Raven of Themyscira you are hereby tasked with repairing the damages you have wrought this island, perhaps this labor will remind you not to bring such battle's to Themyscira without announcing it. And Princess Diana, seeing as you have been on your backside for these past weeks, you are to assist her." Diana looks up in surprise at this. "Perhaps your next jest will be less cruel to your mother. You are dismissed Sisters." The two rise to their feet and bow to Hippolyta before turning and heading out the doors, both suppressing their amusement as they are handed a long list of stones needed to be cut and where they belong and a note that two bronze statues needed to be raised from the harbor basin.

"Well, I did warn you." Raven says as they go over the list.

"It was worth it." Diana chuckles while looking over her shoulder. "We will need a change of clothes for this humble task."

"Agreed, should we restore Poseidon and Apollo for starters?"

"Meet you there in a few minutes." Diana says before racing off, Raven just smirks before teleporting to her room, finding it slightly dusty in the corners.

The pair arrives at the harbor almost simultaneously, to the surprise of the fisherwomen and the guards, before setting to work. Diana by diving into the water; raising the statue by hand, while Raven floats over the water and has the statue come to her. After inspecting the pedestals the statures stood on, they add new ones to the list of stones needed to be cut, as the old ones had almost crumbled away. Leaving the two statues to dry near the administration building; the two fly to the open quarry that had supplied Themyscira with stone for the last three thousand years. Finding it mostly in an abandoned state except for a small area that had seen recent use, Diana guessed Hippolyta had ceased all reconstruction when she learned of Raven's battle when she was last here.

"So do we do this by the honest way?" Raven asks.

"She never said we couldn't be quick about it." Diana replies. "If you can cut the stones, I will take them to where they need to go."

"Sounds good." Raven admits as she sits herself down in the center of the quarry before her powers spread from her and seeps into the quarry wall. First clearing off the vegetation and dirt before they set to work and dig into the stone. But she soon pulls back. "Think it's time I try and do this the way John would."

"Oh?" Diana asks as Raven flies up to the rock she was beginning on. Forming a barrier around her eyes, she forms a circular saw blade that soundlessly begins spinning. "Ah." Diana smirks as Raven begins anew, quickly carving through the stone, but casts up a great amount of dust and splinters. Having carved the two edges, she puts her hands on the block and lets her magic do the work on the sides they can't see. The stone heaves slightly as it is separated from the wall.

"And there we have the first."

It takes Raven a few moments to carve each stones needed and it takes Diana the same amount of time to move them to where they need to be and get back. Like clockwork they keep this up for almost six hours before all of the stones are complete, leaving Raven covered in a thick layer of dust and Diana in a thinner one but with slightly stinging palms from the sharp edged stones.

Having decided to begin at the harbor and work their way up, they continue to support one another. Alternating in their tasks between one holding up a structure where needed, the other moving the stones into place. There were a few tricky places where too much pressure would result in more cracked stone that would need replacing. In one instance, they had to carefully deconstruct a building front before replacing the stone and then rebuild it, making it fortunate that when bigger stoned were employed the Amazon masons didn't bother with mortar.

It doesn't surprise them that they are watched during the entire ordeal, but rarely addressed, during the short breaks they take, they speculate Hippolyta had prepared the island for this and made it so. But they also notice that a few seem to appear near them a little more often than others; a short red-head, a tall dark haired woman, one blond and a wide shouldered woman with short hair. Actually Diana noted one of them being herded away by a pair of guards, but she couldn't tell who it was.

"So, just the arena left?" Raven asks as they are walking through the interior of the last destination in the early evening.

"Yes, and I can't wait till we are done. As much as I don't like to admit it, Mid-Night was right." Diana replies.

"Unfortunately Bruce's regime didn't manifest out here." Raven agrees as they walk out the door and into the arena, finding some twenty stone blocks inside the arena. And a group of five loitering around the closest, a wide flat stone that needed to replace the cracked one under the throne. "Now I wonder who they are?"

"Why Sister, have you forgotten us already?" Antiope asks.

"Well you have been following us around since noon." Diana adds.

"Told you they'd notice." Artemis whispers.

"So you have also returned?" Raven notes at Philipus, the one neither she nor Diana had noticed during the day.

"Arrived this morning, courtesy of Dr. Fate after he got back. And here I learn you have been playing with rocks?"

"Well I did break them all and Diana got to tag along since she decided to jest at first." Raven replies.

"We are adamant about hearing of these wild tales Philipus brings us, while you two finish up." Penelope adds.

"Actually, since you four are so adamant about being a part of this I think you should join in." A stern voice from the audience seats has them look up, finding Hippolyta sitting in her seat.

"Too smart for our own good." Io adds. "Well ladies, let's get to it."

The group quickly relieves themselves of anything that would get in the way before adding their aid to the project, while Philipus retreats to the seats closest to Hippolyta, where they quietly begin to chat as the others begin to move the stones around by hand. One by one the stones are replaced; Raven and Diana deal with the two stones needed to be replaced at the top the others would need a scaffold to reach.

"Am I reading that one right?" Anitope asks, looking at the last stone.

"I am afraid so." Diana sighs. "Better go ask humbly if we are allowed to place it." She says before the group heads up to the audience seats.

"No, I will not move." Hippolyta replies flatly at the request before taking a sip of the glass of wine she had been provided.

"But mother…" Diana's protest dies on her lips at the glaze she receives.

"Then, I am afraid we will have to do without." Raven says, motioning for the group behind her, carrying the last stone.

"I better not spill my wine." Hippolyta replies casually as Raven focuses and Hippolyta and her seat float gently into the air. Diana is quick to remove the cracked stones underneath the seat before the others moves the new stone into place before Hippolyta is gently lowered back onto the stone, exactly where it was on the old platform. "Well done sisters, your punishment is concluded, and faster than I had anticipated." The Queen says as she stands up. "Indeed, I may have to think of something else, should you transgress again." Diana and Raven manage to look slightly worried about that prospect. "Now I have one last thing to ask of you sister Raven before I retire."

"What would you ask of me your Highness?"

"A small request to know if your military capabilities are at our disposal and a small demonstration if possible." Raven seems to think for a few moments before answering.

"Truthfully I do not know if I can. But I know someone who might." Raven says before receiving a nod before she summons her sword and draws it. "Enlighten me Apollyon, can I summon the creatures from the Pit onto this plane?" She asks as she stares into it.

"You can your Highness, I shall with your permission impart the knowledge to you." The screeching metallic voice says before Raven nods at it before her eyes glow red for a second.

"I will need a little space." Raven says before jumping down into the arena, changing shape into her winged appearance before stopping near the center. Using the sword as a pointer, the flames that normally lick up its length shoots forwards and slowly carves a circle of fire in the center of the arena that seemingly falls away into a black hole with a loud crunch. "Rise!" Raven commands before a huge shape walks out of the pit, Diana and Philipus recognizes him as the only challenger to Raven's position below; Thrakmar.

"What is your bidding?" The towering creature asks as it goes down on one knee before Raven who just turns to face the group still standing on the audience four shocked and one stern and two amused, Hippolyta just nods in satisfaction.

"You may return to the Pit." Raven says without turning, the creature nods before getting up and walks down into the hole that reforms after it disappears, leaving no trace of its presence as Raven flies over the others, changing back before landing.

"Very well sister, but what was that beast?" Hippolyta asks.

"That was the captain of the Trigonian Guard, I'd hazard a guess it will equal the Royal Guard here, in standing."

"There are more of those?" Artemis asks, before realizing she spoke out loud.

"Not as big as him, but there are seven other in the guard and I don't know how many of the same breed outside of it."

"And not the largest from my impression." Hippolyta says. "That beast you rode?"

"I would say its legs could span over the stadium?" Raven asks looking at Diana and Philipus who nod in confirmation.

"Very large stone spider." Philipus adds.

"Very, but I will hope you won't ask me to become the sole guardian of Doom's Door because of this?" Raven asks Hippolyta.

"No, it is our tasks as Amazons to keep the abominations inside, but should we one day fail I may ask you to bring them forth." Hippolyta says, inwardly Raven is relieved about this. "Now, I bid you all a good night after you bathe." The Queen says before departing.

"And I know just the place for us." Penelope adds after she leaves.

The group spends a good two hours at the secluded lake, with Raven, Philipus and Diana spending most of their time explaining their journey and their battles. Philipus reveals she had been learning a little from Inza and the Android while Fate was out cold and that she had brought a chessboard with her home. When Raven and Philipus had a little alone time, Philipus revealed the presence of Argent's ghost at Stonehenge which had Raven say that she would have to visit the site again at some point.

Other than that the others let on Themyscira had been a very quiet place since news got out about Diana's condition, leading to some mean-spirited rumors about who was to blame, which Raven just shrugged off. The questions inevitably lead back to the winged form Raven had acquired, which led to a demonstration that had Artemis landing in the middle of the lake. The others had shared a look between them before they all charged Raven in an attempt to get her off the cliff as well. With Raven standing on the edge already she merely teleported aside at the last second, to watch the four fall into the water themselves, much to their cursing when they got up. They got back at her later when she changed back.

Unlike the last time they all leave as a group to have the dinner none of them had gotten yet before retiring, Raven was a bit suspicious when Diana left after Philipus and Antiope. Her suspicion was enough for her to head to bed as well. As Robin both the old and the new had found out, sneaking up on Raven was a near impossible task. Diana finds out this the hard way when she silently tries entering through the window, only to get yanked into the room and onto the vacant bed.

"Figured you'd try again." Raven says as she leans against the far corner as Diana recovers from her own surprise.

"I just felt lonely in my own room." Diana admits.

"So that's why you brought your lasso?" Raven asks dryly, noting that besides the nightdress, the golden rope is the only thing Diana brought with her.

"Well, I did have my hopes." Diana admits. "And I am sober this time." Raven smirks at this.

"Maybe some other time, but you can stay. It has been a very long and tiring day."

"Aww, oh well, even my credentials won't get me past that." Diana sighs before discarding the lasso on the ground and crawls beneath the sheets. "How is it in there, now that we are out?"

"Quiet, very quiet. It's almost disturbing really." Raven admits as she gets in bed as well.

"How much of a difference did we make?"

"A lot really, I guess it has to do with personalities and way of life. Each of you, except J'onn, made more noise than all of Azerath does." Raven admits.

"You didn't seem that badly affected?"

"Comes down to experience with watching my emotions, Bruce was the worst."

"I can guess, even if he doesn't show it, he does care a lot for Zatanna but as a friend only. How are you feeling about her now?"

"No one should have had to go through what she did, but I think I can develop a working relationship with her, if she feels the same way now that Bruce is out, time will tell. Now, good night we need this rest of ours."

"Agreed, good night."

Early next morning the two wake up wrapped in each other's arms, though they don't remember waking up during the night. To avoid strange questions and possibly a fuming monarch Raven opens a portal so Diana returns to her own quarter without being seen before dressing herself and heads out herself in search of breakfast. Meeting up with the others, who immediately began to grill her over where she and Diana had spent the night, to which Raven simply replied they had both been asleep the whole night without saying further.

After breakfast Raven is summoned to the Palace to receive a note that she and Diana are invited to attend an exclusive party at a certain mansion in Gotham during the afternoon. Needless to say, both quickly look to Hippolyta for approval because of the events at the last party the two attended. With a stern warning that she did not want a repeat of the last time, she allowed them to go after reading the aliases of the other attendees, all Founding Leaguers and Titans. Also Raven was to report on the Satellite for a special mission at around Themysciran noon, which got a sigh of annoyance out of her.

This time it is Raven who heads down to Sabina's shop with Diana in tow, since she decided she better surprise the others with something that Richard had not picked out for her. Arriving at the small shop, they find Sabina at a point of rage at the people who had ruined her creations, nearly driving the two into a corner before the seamstress calms down. But she was pleased to hear that they had been appreciated and even more so when they asked if she could make new ones. It turned out Sabina had actually been preparing for that request ever since she heard about the attack so the two could leave after an hour with new ones.

The rest of the time was spent on doing nothing other than reading, on Raven's part after Diana decided to hit the archery lanes. The letters written in the book make it a slow but enjoyable affair for her, but an altogether too short one before she has to leave the book have lunch and redress before being teleported to the Watchtower, after persuading Diana to bring her dress with her when she left.


	34. Vengeance of the Batman

"Well there she is; the hero of the hour. A week ago, that is." Mr. Terrific greets as Raven flies up to his perch in the monitor womb of the Watchtower.

"Ha-ha Michael very funny, so what's this mission you decided to send me on?"

"Only Batman would know, he's waiting for you in the prison wing." Terrific says with a smile getting raised eyebrow from Raven; that the man didn't know was exceptional, that much she had learned from her own week of monitor duty.

"Well, better not keep him waiting." Raven replies before teleporting away arriving outside the cell she had been detained in months ago, oddly enough she finds Dr. Fate inside, busy reading aloud from a book. Raven figures he is strengthening the wards in case they get some magical powerhouse again, like her if she goes bonkers, she notes inwardly.

"Could be for Zee, Jason or himself as well." Raven yelps as the quiet voice appears behind her, making her spin around to see Bruce standing right behind her. She immediately notices the smug smile on his face.

"So you found out how to mute your emotions I see." She sighs as he keeps smirking. "So besides proving a point, what do you want me to do?" The smirk disappears.

"For one you're late." She just stares at him; she had to do with solar clocks at best. "But it's a banality; prisoner escort." He says before turning around and walks back down the corridor, Raven quickly moves to walk beside him. "Prisoner is ready to be escorted, Mr. Terrific knows where to send you." He says before he stops and faces her. "And one last thing, the prisoner is not to suffer any 'lasting' injuries, and that is an order." He pauses to let her think it over for a few seconds, she notes down his underlining of 'lasting'. "Understood?"

"Understood." Raven replies and nods while wondering why he was actually telling her this.

"Good, I will see you later." He says and continues walking, revealing the prisoner behind the glass window, furiously battling to get out of a straitjacket while wearing a metal collar around her neck. Raven is about to protest, but Batman is already gone.

On the other side of the screen, Terra looks up noticing Raven staring at her and stops her struggles completely. Raven's internally bunches up her determination while thinking extra carefully over Batman's choice of words as she spots the swelling left area of Terra's face before a sinister smile spreads over her face. No broken bones, no lasting madness or mind tampering, but everything before that got the green light.

Terra's surprise is changed as Raven runs the hand print scan that opens the door to the cell. "Huh, so bat-breath sent the weakling?" Raven doesn't reply with words, instead she moves in quickly and punches Terra hard in the stomach, causing her to drop to her knees battling not to throw up. "God…that…hurt."

"I am going to make this simple so that even your mind gets it. I am going to escort you safely to somewhere hopefully deep and dark, but I am authorized to use force if I feel like it. And I will feel like it the moment you badmouth me or struggle against me, so please do go ahead with both."

"Heh…you don't have the balls to do that again." Terra says unfazed by the warning as she looks up even if her midsection hurts.

"Call this a demonstration." Raven says as she punches a small impression in the steel wall. "Do tempt me. Now come on." She continues as she grabs the back of the jacket and hauls Terra to her feet before forcibly shoving her out of the door.

"Same old Raven, always playing the hard Ice Queen while really being the little whiny bitch under façade." Terra sneers before getting slammed against the wall and lifted off the floor by the throat. "Put me down!" She croaks.

"Be very careful Terra." Raven says as she holds Terra's face right before her own as she removes her boots and changes shape into her winged form lifting Terra even further off the ground. "You murdered some people very close to me, and right now I am entertaining the idea that you never make it to jail, teleporters are after all very unpredictable; who knows? You could end up somewhere **really** unpleasant?!" Raven warns as Terra's eyes go wide at the sight, internally Raven is a little pleased that she is actually scared now.

"Y-you… wouldn't…" Terra stammers as tears begin to form in her eyes, she is terrified now.

"According to some, I will live for a very long time Terra; I will endure whatever this world will throw at me." Raven replies flatly before putting her back down and forces her to walk in front of her after collecting her boots.

"No...please… I'm sorry… I was told to do it!" Terra pleads as they walk.

"You suggested it and you wanted to do it." Raven replies flatly. "I have your memories Terra, I know what you have done, how you have done it and the sick satisfaction you had each time you were done. It is too late, you can't be saved." Raven replies as they exit into the main hall, finding Cyborg, Starfire and Beastboy there who just stare wide-eyed at the sight.

"Guys! Save me! She's going to kill me!" Terra pleads as Raven grabs the back of her jacket before she can run off, Starfire just looks away looking offended. "Please!" Cyborg just stares angrily at her while remaining motionless, as Beastboy moves a little closer. "BB?" Terra almost jumps into Raven as Beastboy in less than a second has turned into a tiger letting out a wounded roar before backing away growling menacingly with the hairs along his spine stands on end, if anything it told Raven volumes of how hurt Beastboy was.

"Hold up Raven, we have an incoming teleportation." Mr. Terrific calls as the two reach the stairs leading up to the pads, that come alive, forming a single big man in a brown costume that looks like Kid Flash's, like him as well, the man's hair is reddish brown. He looks in surprise at the two at the two at the foot of the stairs.

Raven narrows her eyes at him, as Terra seems to grasp some kind of hope. "Tara? What is the meaning of this?! Unhand her!"

"Not going to happen." Raven replies flatly.

"Brion! Where have you been?!" Batman asks in an angry tone from the monitor womb where he was sitting, hidden from view from the floor.

"That's King Brion to you!" Brion snaps back. "What is going on here?"

"You're in the way." Raven says. "Move."

"You will release my sister at once!" Brion replies stubbornly as he stands his ground.

"Move now, or be moved." Raven rumbles as she stands on the last step before the top of the platform, which still forces her to look down on Geo-Force.

"Brion, help me, they got me mixed up with someone, accusing me of all kinds of horrible things!" Terra pleads quickly before Raven lightly slaps her on the back of the head.

"Quiet you."

"That does it!" Brion snaps before Raven pushes him roughly to the side, sending him half way across the floor of the hall, landing at the feet of Batman who just stares at him while Raven forces the squirming Terra up the stairs.

"Ready to go wherever she is going." Raven announces to Mr. Terrific.

"Brion! BRIOOOONNN…!" Terra's scream is cut off as the two disappear in a blue flash while Batman drops a large stack of paper in front of the man at his feet.

"Your half-sisters file, read it. And that is an order 'King' Brion." Batman rumbles menacingly before walking away.

It is raining in the early morning hours as two figures appear on a gravel path leading up a hill where a large structure is squatting on its top. The bigger figure looses its monstrous appearance and folds up her hood before looking around for a sign about where they are while getting her boots back on.

"If you are looking for the sign, you need to walk down the hill." A voice says from the shadows of the bushes before a woman wearing a half mask, a tight blue costume and with two swords strapped to her back, steps out of the shelter of a large bush, and onto the path. "Who's the bimbo?"

"Ravager." Raven nods in greeting. "I see you have your swords back. "This is someone I am supposed to deliver, used to work for your father."

"No thanks to you." Ravager grumbles as a reply. "Hmm, I know who it is, I was supposed to off her as well before I tried you, seems you are in the right place then if I say Gotham I think you can guess."

"Uhh, bad luck Terra, you'd almost be better off with where I was going to take you." Raven says again growing the wicked smile. "So what are you doing here?" She asks Ravager.

"Waiting for you, of all people." Ravager admits with a shrug. "Part of the deal I made with the guy in the blue overcoat and hat; help out Nightwing and his squad and he would lead me to someone who could lead me to my father, left me here 10 minutes ago saying my guide would arrive in a flash. Where is he?"

"Going to kill him?" Raven asks while holding onto the straining Terra effortlessly.

"No, but I do want to kick the crap out of him." Ravager replies before pulling up her mask and eye-patch enough for Raven to see the empty eye-socket. "He got me doped up on so much serum I did this to myself to prove something to him."

"Hmm, follow me, but you better be prepared, he is not the man you once knew." Raven says before pushing Terra up the hill.

"He's here? How'd he get stuck there?" Ravager asks as she is taken by surprise and hurries to walk besides Raven.

"Met him here… two and a half months ago, roughly. You should know how I can maul people's minds."

"You know, I am beginning to like you better already. So what's he like now?" Ravager says, sounding surprisingly upbeat about the news, Slade had indeed warned her about the powers Raven had, which was why he needed her to be quick and merciless, because as he had told her, Raven could put her down with a thought if she was discovered.

"Nothing like you remember him I bet. But I would suggest you take off the mask, he's scared of his own."

"You're kidding?"

"Ask this one if I have a sense of humor." Raven replies with a smirk as she shakes Terra slightly as they come up to the parking lot before the large building that used to be mansion. "And here we are Terra, Arkham Asylum, your new home." As if the sky is in on her idea of fun, a bolt of lightning pierces the sky followed swiftly by the thunder.

"Y-You can't be serious! Only crazy people go here!" Terra stammers as she digs her heels into the ground as Raven pushes her to the doorstep.

"That's true, and I found your psychic evaluation lying on my bed some days ago. I think they intended for me to read it, but I didn't bother. So I guess there is a shrink somewhere who believes you should be here. Oh and just one more thing." Raven says as she turns Terra around and lifts her off the ground while her eyes turn to blazing red. "For the things you've done, you will pay for eternally and I will make it my business to get my hands on you when the time comes! And unlike you, I can wait the some 80 years it will take!" Raven warns before her eyes return to normal. "Now let's go see who you will be bunking next to." Raven says as she pushes the door open and drags Terra inside, followed by an amused looking Ravager. As it is early morning, there are only very few staff present in the almost too clean reception as the three enter. But Raven knows it is only this part that looks new, the rest of the place is almost the opposite.

An elderly receptionist in a nurse's uniform takes one look over her glasses at them as the approach. "Patient name?"

"Tara Markov, also known as Terra, transfer from the Justice League." Raven replies as the woman types it in.

"Ah yes, you are authorized to escort her right into her cell." She says. "What's with the bruise?" She asks as she notices the wound with half an eye.

"She squirms a lot, fell on her face I am afraid." Raven replies flatly, the woman just shrugs, she was well aware of the real reason, but she had ceased to care years ago. "Where do I put her?"

"Down the hallway there, take the first right and then down to the basement, there will be a guard there." The woman replies, waving her pen in the direction.

"Wait, there has to be some mistake! I'm not crazy!" Terra yells at Raven pushes her along.

"That's what most of them say deary." The receptionist replies with a tired smile before turning to Ravager. "And what can I do for you?"

"Umm, I was told, I could find…Slade Wilson here?" Ravager asks, unsure if Arkham knew the real name.

"It is a little late for visiting hour's Missy." The woman says with a disapproving look. "But what is your name?"

"Rose… Rose Wilson, he's my father, I didn't know he ended up here till a few moments ago and I have been looking for weeks."

"Ah well, since the man never seems to sleep, you can follow your friend down, he's down that way, and you can tell that other one that his time is almost up." She replies while beginning to fiddle with her hair net.

"Other one?" Rose asks in surprise.

"A young man, a mute." The woman replies without looking up to see Rose run down the hallways to catch up with Raven, catching up with her just as she is talking to a guard who motions for her to follow him, Rose notices he unfastens the pistol holster before unlocking the door, using a key card.

"Any idea why a mute would visit him?" Rose whispers to Raven, as they walk down a short flight of stairs before exiting into a circular corridor.

"I can think of one, but how much do you know of Wilson's other family?" Raven replies quietly, while Terra casts scared looks at the sleeping occupants of the cells they pass.

"He didn't have any?" Roses reply has Raven stop suddenly before turning to face her.

"He did, once, one that's still alive. And I think you are about to me one of them." Raven says before continuing around the corner, leaving a stumped Ravager behind that stares off into nothing for a few seconds before following, finding Raven talking quietly to a young man with voluminous curly blond hair and a strange purple and white getup that looks very 70'ties, while he is signing to her while Terra just stares into the wall behind him.

Raven looks down to Rose as she begins walking slowly towards them, the other man notices as well and seems to regard her with an excited gleam in his eyes. "Rose, mask off, or you will scare him." Raven whispers. The man immediately begins signing to her as she pulls off her mask and makes sure her long white hair is out of her way before stopping him.

"I can't sign language." She whispers.

"I will leave you to it." Raven says before looking through the glass. "Good to see you are feeling better." She says before moving on as the young man quickly pulls out a pad and a pen and writes something. Before showing it to Rose, who reads aloud.

"Hello, I am Joseph Wilson, your brother." Rose just stares at him, before reading on. "I'm very excited to meet you."

"I… I am very excited to meet you too… I'm Rose." She says as her mind is overwhelmed by the discovery.

"Rose? Rose is that you?" A man's eager voice draws them over to the window, finding a man dressed in white pants and a reinforced straightjacket smiling broadly at them with a wild stare in his one eye. "Hi Rose!"

"Dad..?" Raven's warning didn't prepare Rose for the sight of the almost emotionless man she had trained under to dance around a padded room barefooted.

"And here we are." The guard says as he pushes a code into a number-pad, unlocking the door.

"You can't do this to me!" Terra yells before Raven lifts her off the ground and carries her inside.

"Already done." Raven replies as the puts her down. "Do I need to remove the jacket?"

"No, she seems to need a little calming down before we can do that." The guard shrugs as Raven walks back out, slamming the door in Terra's face right before she crashes head first into it, landing her on her back as a result. "How'd you do that?"

"Empath, I can sense when people are near." Raven replies, also it was fairly predictable.

"Uhhh, do tell me more!" A manic voice says from the cell next to Terra's. "Ohh, what's it like? A slight tingle? Like sticking your fingers into cold water? Like grabbing hold of a 10.000 Watt fence?! AHAHAHAHA…!"

"Keep it quiet Joker." The guard sighs before shutting off the hatch into the maniac's dark cell. "Sorry miss, he does that to everyone."

"Don't worry about it." Raven says wearily, not sure if she should feel sorry for Terra or not, deciding not to bother.

"Uhh, keep it down you freak." A tired voice complains from another cell, one Raven recognizes instantly.

"It's best if that one doesn't see me or I fear he will wake everyone." Raven whispers to the guard.

"It's just Arthur, pretty harmless if you ask me." The guard shrugs.

"No he's not, and I know." Raven replies.

"Joe, who are you talking to, I demand to know who it is!" Light almost yells from his cell.

"Your choice, but you have to pass him to get out I'm afraid." The guard says. "I didn't catch the name?"

"Didn't give it." Raven replies before walking to stand right in front of a one armed Arthur Light who freezes on the spot at the sight of her. "Keep it quiet Light or am I going to have to come in there?" She asks sternly, causing him back away rapidly before falling over his bed and down the other side, taking his covers with the before cowering under them. "That was why he shouldn't see me." Raven notes to the guard. "Good day to you." She says before walking back, nodding to Rose, Slade and Joey as she passes them.

"You know, she is quite scary, don't make her angry." Slade whispers to his kids as she turns the corner, but she hears him.

"Mission successful?" Mr. Terrific asks as Raven appears again on the Watchtower.

"Yup, Terra has been delivered, mostly unmolested." Raven replies.

"Yes, only that one Batman gave her I see." The man says as he brings up the image of Terra's cell in Arkham. "Been following you since you departed."

"Why am I not surprised?" Raven asks appearing unbothered, guessing this was a test on Bruce's part. "So how fast would someone have been there if I decided to do something stupid?"

"I am not saying if you didn't see it." Raven thinks back on the short trip up the pathway, but she doesn't remember anything out of place.

"Nightwing, Robin, J'onn or Flash." She concludes, just getting a smirk from Michael.

"Good selection, and you're close." He says.

"No I'm not, it was Marvel, wasn't it?" Raven says after a few additional seconds of thought.

"Oh and how did you come to that conclusion?" Michael asks.

"If I decided to do something excessive, neither Nightwing nor Robin would be able to stop me in time. I remember J'onn mentioning he would be in Australia for a period. And I have noticed the difference in air pressure that seems to happen when the Flash moves quick enough to remain unseen. Captain Marvel could stay in the clouds and still see and hear me without me becoming aware of him, due to the range and the rest of Gotham. Also he can subdue me quick enough before I change."

"Heh, guess that's why Superman likes you, it was Marvel and it was Batman who set it up. It was a test to see what you would do if given the opportunity of being alone with her. Though Ravager's appearance was unexpected, it was judged to be inconsequential, considering her father tried to brainwash her into a killing machine. How did the reunion go by the way?" He asks changing track, while Raven just nods.

"A lot of teary eyes I didn't stay around too long." She shrugs.

"I mean the Wilsons." Michael cuts in, knowing she was deliberately getting it wrong.

"Slade was happy, Jericho was surprised but happy, Rose was dumbstruck that she even had a brother."

"Good, we did worry she would try to gut him. So what are you doing now?"

"Don't know really, don't you have to do paper work after each mission." Michael just smiles at her question.

"A true adherent of the Bat mentality." He says. "That is unfortunately exactly what you have to do, and a lot of it, considering all the stuff you have been doing and not been pestered with paperwork during it." Raven groans loudly. "Don't worry, it's mostly form based, but you have to do it sooner or later."

"I better get started then." She sighs in defeat. "Where?"

"Here if you want to, at least you will have company."

"That I will." Raven agrees as she sits down on the chair next to him.

* * *

**Next chapter:** it's party time.


	35. Almost Party Time

"Well, look who's calling." Michael says as a request for teleportation is displayed, Raven looks up, her eyes feel funny from staring at a screen for several hours, with all the paper work she'd have to do because of the many missions that's been going on since she joined.

She had often during the time complained that there was too much nid-picking, each time getting countered with some remark about why the question was asked. Lastly she had to detail every fight and event that had occurred, which wasn't a problem for her to remember, it was a problem that she couldn't stop herself from detailing everything. Michael had noted she was taking after Richard's methods to a worrying degree, who she learned is worse than Bruce when it comes to the reports.

"Do you want the honors?" The man asks as Raven identifies the caller.

"Why not?" She shrugs and sets up the correct coordinates before starting the huge machine up and a few seconds later, Wonder Woman appears with two dresses slung over her shoulder. "Diana, please tell me you have come to spring me from the endless stream of paper?" Diana just smiles as she flies up to them.

"That I have sister." Diana says as she takes a look at the current rapport Raven had been filling out. "A bit overly detailed?"

"Can't stop myself." Raven sighs. "Fortunately, that is the last one."

"Well, I could pester you with detailing your encounter with Catwoman." Michael's suggestion is met with two stares, one annoyed and one worried. "But that one was filed by Bruce before he left."

"You will rule your own circle of hell on day Michael." Raven replies dryly. "I'll go get changed."

"As will I, enjoy Mr. Terrific." Diana adds.

"Fortunately, it's the good Captains turn now." Terrific says as he watches them go, spotting the silver coated hero approach.

"You're an ass you know?" Raven asks.

"Nope, I'm terrific." Michael replies in amusement, getting both Amazons to roll their eyes.

"Whatever happen to all the Tamaranians?" Diana asks as she and Raven appears in the driveway of Wayne Manor, in the early Gotham afternoon, it had been discussed in the corridors of the Watchtower if the Tamaranians could possibly help stabilize the League's own teleportation devices, but they were nowhere in sight.

While an invaluable piece of technology to the League, it is still considered a prototype since it is still costly to repair, uses a lot of power and have burnt out on a fair number of occasions. So often in fact that Bruce is still considering scrubbing it all together till it could be improved significantly.

"Heard they had to leave two days after the ritual, something about Galfore being unable to leave Tamaran for too long, think Artemis would have liked him."

"I think you are right, if they didn't try and kill each other first." Diana replies, the League having all spent a little time to read up on Tamaran and its people in Wisdom's library while Raven preparing to bring them all back, while Bruce did have Richard's extensive file on Starfire and her people, Wisdom let them have Raven's first hand experiences.

"They probably would before wizening up and getting drunk together."

"True. So what would become of Blackfire and her syncopates?" Diana asks

"I am not sure, Starfire seems to be the only one Galfore told and she only told me it was severe." Raven replies as they note the different cars parked outside the manor and the open door with the red carpet rolled down the staircase. "Hope Alfred wasn't alone in doing all of this."

"If I know him right, Alfred will have a number of minions tonight." Diana says getting Raven to look at her in surprise.

"Is that… safe?"

"Oh I am sure he has made up a decent cover story, we are personal friends or that kind of thing." Diana shrugs.

"And us?" Raven asks, tapping her left bracelet making a little 'plink'.

"Bruce Wayne and Wonder Woman have met at social events before. You, I imagine, will have been invited due to your appearance at the Presidential Ball. Of course there's no saying that there is any extra help, Richard and Tim could be busy in one part of the house while Alfred is busy somewhere else." Diana replies as Alfred appears the doorway, his face seems to lighten up considerably as they walk up the stairs.

"Miss Diana, Miss Raven. Welcome to Wayne Manor, allow me to escort you to the rest of the guests." Alfred greets before leading them inside.

"So, everything back to normal?" Raven asks, wondering how Bruce was received when he decided to go come back to Gotham.

"Aside from the initial outburst of emotion, yes." Alfred replies without turning. "And if I might add, you must be relieved to have the Master out of your head as well?"

"There are worse people I could think of ending in there. When did he get back?"

"The Master's impeccable sense of timing proved itself again, as Master Richard and Master Timothy decided to go up for a visit. And here we are, refreshments are available if desired." He says as he stands aside and admits them to the garden behind the manor before retreating back into the house.

"Did we miss something in that invitation?" Raven asks as they look out into the garden, finding it containing a host of casually dressed people.

"He's doing it on purpose." Diana whispers.

John is wearing a set of sunglasses along with a tight black T-shirt and gray baggy pants as he sits alone on a bench and enjoys the sun. While Shayera dressed completely in white, T-shirt and pants is playing frisbee with and oddly normal moving Wally in a green polo shirt and washed out canvas pants.

On a bench facing away from the manor, behind a bush, they can see two dark haired women.

Clark is wearing a white T-shirt and blue canvas pants as he stands in the sun while Bruce, who is wearing a light blue short sleeved shirt, sand white shorts and bathing slippers, is sitting under a sunshade, the two sharing a joke by the looks of it. From what Raven manages to pick up, it was something about Clark peeking and Bruce following. The two arrivals talking of course draws the attention of the one being they can see that has super-hearing.

"Hey Diana, Raven. What are you dressed up for?" Clark asks as he greets them, behind him, Wally has the frizz bee hit his head as he gets distracted. Everyone else looks up as well at the new arrivals.

"I believe our invitation read a 'formal' dinner?" Diana says confidently as she walks out into the sunlight. "Am I mistaken?"

"No, you are actually completely correct." Bruce says as he gets up. "But we eat dinner in… four hours." He continues after consulting his wristwatch.

"Yeah, the rest of us brought the formal stuff in the cars." Wally adds.

"I think we have fooled ourselves." Raven whispers to Diana, getting a sigh out of the Princess and snicker out of Clark.

"Don't worry, I took the liberty of requesting for some of your clothes from the embassy, they are upstairs." Bruce continues, sporting a smirk.

"What do you say sister, should we grace these people with our continued presence?" Diana asks.

"I think we get the choice of that, monitor duty or more chores in the quarry." Raven replies quickly, noticing a quick dip in someone's mood, but it was too fast for her to grasp who's.

"Well then, we better go change." Diana says and turns to head back into the house, with Raven following shortly after.

The pair finds a large assortment of clothes in the guest room Diana slept in when she was last in the Manor, offering her a rich selection of clothes. Raven found some in her closet and one snoring dog on her bed that farts before waking up as she enters the room.

"Hey boy, seem like you missed me." Raven notes as the dog jumps off that bed and begins jumping up and down her leg for attention. "No, down boy, I need to use this later." Raven warns, not wanting to have her dress ruined, the dog stops instantly and sits down with a whine.

Patting Cerberus once, Raven changes out of the dress before addressing the dog again. "Ok, now." She says before quickly rolling the dog over and begins scratching its belly, much to its enjoyment.

"So do you feel like we need to get back at them?" Diana asks from the doorway, revealing her to be wearing only her white underwear and the strapless bra she hid under the dress.

"Hmm, that Bruce's orders rarely leave for much creative thinking, yes I think we should. But what are you thinking about?" Raven replies as she stands back up, wondering if Diana was going to suggest that they slip away or something.

"Heard mention that Richard provided your wardrobe?" Diana asks knowingly before walking inside, the gears inside Raven's head begins spinning rapidly trying to guess what Diana was getting at.

The looks the two receive as they come back to the gardens are well worth it, as Bruce's gets his drink down the wrong throat, John lifts his sunglasses to get a better view. Wally, again, misses the catch he was supposed to make, and Clark raises his eyebrows. While the women, try to suppress their amusement at the reactions.

Raven is wearing a loose black T-shirt with three metallic demon-beast heads with tusks and helmets depicted, arranged back to back so only one is looking directly at the viewer, the other two looking to the left and right, while either lava or molten metal is being poured down on them from above, piercing the band name bent over the heads. With the T-shirt, she is wearing a dark pair of shorts that go down to her knees, leaving the bathing slippers she is wearing on her feet visible. The slippers are a new thing for her and she is trying to adjust to wearing footwear that isn't following her feet instantly.

Diana on the other hand, is wearing a pair of black leather pants they had found in the closet, that actually proved too long for Raven to wear normally and that they were a little loose when compared to the ones Sam had made for her. On Diana they prove to be a second layer of skin, due to her being slightly taller and more rounded than Raven is. With the pants, Diana had found a tight black T-shirt with a large white skull covering most of its front. While keeping her usual sandals on her feet which are mostly forgotten.

"Well, this is new." Clark manages, getting snickers out of Linda and Lois who have emerged from their seats. With Lois wearing her purple jacket and white skirt, while Linda is wearing a yellow spaghetti top and white pants. The two Amazons notice the motion too late to react, as she turns her palm revealing a phone that snaps a split-second after the realization it's there. "Lois!" Clark complains.

"Relax, I just wanted a private photo of the pair that shocked the mighty men of the Justice League." Lois replies casually as she watches the photo she took, where Linda quickly joins in.

"A fair few tabloids would pay through the nose for that one." She adds.

"Glad one can still surprise." Diana adds with a smirk as the two join the rest.

"Though I don't remember Richard mentioning anything like that in selection he brought back?" Bruce asks Diana.

"By royal edict she raided mine." Raven replies with mock offence.

"Who would have guessed?" Shayera adds. "So is this a new shift for you Diana?"

"Hmm, maybe." She replies with a smirk.

"Will take a little getting used to." Bruce says before downing the rest of his drink, while his eyes don't budge from Diana. "But I think your mother might disapprove."

"That she might." Diana agrees, but does not sound troubled by it. "So what do we entertain ourselves with till then?"

"Enjoy the sun, since we have been without it for a very long time." Clarks mention has Raven take notice of the actual paleness of the Founders, which stands out when compared to Lois and Linda. "Which I guess is what you have been doing after you got home?"

"No such luck, I'm afraid. My mother desired Themyscira repaired after the extensive damage Raven brought about with her battle with the demon." Diana replies.

"Sounds kinda harsh for a woman who just got her daughter back?" Linda asks.

"Diana decided to let me walk in on Hippolyta alone before revealing herself." Raven adds. "So she got to tag along, thought it was hidden beneath the notion that she had been inactive for weeks. Actually, that reminds me, how did you fly?" She asks suddenly remembering Diana was earthbound if not wearing her armor.

"Hermes' birth gift to me was the ability to fly and I couldn't have us take forever."

"How kind." Raven replies with a smirk, again she is reminded how little semblance Diana seems to have with the princess' girls usually dream of being where their slightest whims are cared for by others.

"Well then, since you are here." Lois says as she puts an arm around Linda and hooking her other around her husband's right arm. "Would the elusive lost Titan care for an impromptu press conference?"

Raven is about to reply before Diana speaks up. "A word of warning, Ms. Lane is quite the equal of Nemesis the goddess when it comes to interviews."

"Well that's true, and even Kryptonite doesn't stop her." Clark adds, getting a sigh out of Raven.

"Ok, ok, I told myself to be more open, but no pictures. I got to have some secrets left."

"And no mention of location." Bruce adds.

"Thought we were in a park?" Linda asks in a teasing tone before the three drag Raven off to a corner of the garden.

"So what's the occasion?" Diana asks Bruce as the others disperse again. "Not that I don't mind the invitation."

"I have my reasons, but spending some time with friends under an informal setting is one of them." The man replies as he picks up the Frisbee before trowing it at Shayera.

"Also we are sending off my ring." John adds as he gets up from his seat and joins them.

"You're parting with it?" Diana asks in surprise.

"Well, it parted with me. Spent most of the time thinking about 'stuff' and I am pretty comfortable about the thought not being a GL anymore. So I brought the battery along so we can send them off."

"You'll be missed." Diana notes as he gets herself a glass of water.

"Didn't say I was leaving the League. Anyways you have Kyle and he's a good kid and he will become a great Lantern one day. If he doesn't get himself killed first." John replies with a smile. "So who else is invited today?"

"We are still waiting for J'onn and Richard is picking up the three other Titans with Tim. Also I am expecting Barbara to arrive shortly. I invited Jason and Zatanna as well, but Jason desired a little alone time and Zatanna has checked herself into a rehab center this morning."

"How is she doing?" Diana asks.

"Not too well." Bruce sighs. "She's got too much happening at once, after she is cleaned out, she is going to hold the funeral for her father. After that she did mention about going into therapy and returning the remains of the guards. She let us know she is still on call if needed, but she wants everything to quiet down around her before considering returning to the stage and active duty."

"She's strong, with time she will pull through." John says. "If she can steer clear of her bum friend."

"I had Richard put a tag on his coat, if it comes within 50 yards of Zatanna's apartment, I'll know." Bruce grumbles, though he wasn't certain the tracker would go unnoticed.

"So is Raven going to step up and take her place?" John continues.

"No, by her own admission and perception, Raven is a novice magician, powerful maybe, but only trained in the basics Azar was able to teach her. Besides, she doesn't want to take anyone's seat. So for the time being, we will have to be more flexible when it comes to magic." Bruce replies. "Which we should be from now on."

"Was that what you were reading in the library?" Diana asks, it had not gone by any of the other Leaguers that Bruce had spent a lot of time there but not said anything about what.

"A book called Self-Perception, detailed how Raven sees herself; also I was reading up on her own knowledge of her powers."

"I hope you didn't read anything… intrusive." Diana asks worried that Bruce might be looking for something other than useful information.

"Wisdom made a point of reading the titles aloud before I picked them." Bruce shrugs before looking up as a two people appear in the doorway. "Barbara, Helena, good of you to come." He greets the two.

"Considering where you have been these last weeks, how could we resist?" Barbara replies as she rolls herself forwards, wearing a white blouse and black pants. While Huntress is wearing a white T-shirt and blue pants, while you can catch glimpses of her bandages under her sleeves. Her ribs were still damaged thought the tissue was healed and Mid-Night had ordered her to take it easy till it stopped hurting.

"I am still trying to figure out why I got invited at all." Helena adds, wincing slightly as she walks.

"Well you did get yourself skewered for Robin's sake." Diana mentions.

"Not for the fun of it, I can assure you. But I can't stand seeing kids getting hurt." Helena replies, before they notice Diana's outfit. "New uniform?" Diana just smiles.

"Borrowed some of Raven's after they arrived dressed for dinner." John adds.

"Where is she by the way?" Barbara asks at the mention.

"Slowly getting roasted over a burning pencil by three reporters." John replies with a smirk at his own joke. "Clark, Lois and Linda."

"Poor woman." Helena says before sitting down. "Pity she can't do bones." She says, grimacing.

"Kinda odd, isn't it?" John asks. "She can mend the rest of a person, but not the bones."

"Her own explanation is that it's because they are denser than muscle's so it will take an enormous effort on her part and an extended period of time to do it." Bruce says.

"So she settles for mending it superficially." Barbara concludes. "So why wasn't Helena's?"

"Well considering where we came from and what Raven had been doing, I'd put it down to being tired." John chips in.

"We were fighting Merlin, Zatanna force-fed her the rage we were all feeling." Diana continues, knowing Barbara and Huntress were mostly in the dark concerning the Shadowpact's actions.

"Should have seen it, we were all trying to get his damn shield down with little success, then Zatanna says a few words backwards and Raven amped up the juice and blasted him to smithereens. Drained the other five mystics completely though." Shayera says as she joins them, having heard most of the conversation.

"Hold up, we are talking about the King Arthur's Merlin and how were you fighting him? Thought you were stuck inside of her?" Huntress asks.

"Yes we are talking the wizard, Etrigans brother actually and Raven was able to let us out down there." Bruce continues. "And I suspect that she unintentionally, drained them of all emotions, not just the rage Zatanna ordered her to, including the will to cast anything."

"Sounds reasonable, but she didn't seem to take to it that well, considering how far back she flew." Shayera continues. "Do you think emotions are like a single door to her? Since she can feel others emotions, if she is forced to feel she has to feel every emotion?"

"That is a very accurate way of describing it." J'onn's quiet voice announced his presence before the others see him walking down the stairs from the mansion, again wearing his 'John Jones' form as he calls the shape he attended the last dinner in while he is also dressed in the white tuxedo he was wearing the last time.

"Good of you to come J'onn, what kept you?" Bruce asks as they shake hands.

"My apologies, I decided to fly from Australia, stopped by Amy on the way." The Martian says, appearing a little saddened at the mention.

After he left the League to learn more about humans and how to connect with them, he had traveled, experiencing many things and seen many sights. Amy was an elderly woman who ran a bed and breakfast J'onn was stopping in, he quickly learned that she was slowly dying of cancer and decided that she shouldn't live alone during that time. She was very bright and the two spent a lot of time talking, especially after J'onn revealed himself to her and later to her grown children. J'onn had tapped into the League's funding to pay for a trip to China for them all, which was interrupted by Darkseid's invasion. Amy lived for six months longer after that and J'onn was there when she passed away. Years later, he still stops by her grave to let her know she wasn't forgotten by him.

"Don't apologize; it's good you remember her." Bruce counters.

"Hey J'onn, all dressed up as well." Wally greets as he walks over as well, having to go find the frisbee Shayerera threw into the forest on purpose.

"Was that not the message?" J'onn asks, noticing the dress of the others.

"Sure it was, just for later. Don't worry, the two Amazons got it wrong as well." Wally continues.

"Which explains the current attire?" J'onn says raising an eyebrow at Diana. "Ravens?"

"It is." Diana confirms. "Only borrowing."

"I'm sure you can borrow some too." Wally says with a smirk that is met with one from J'onn before he transforms into Raven, wearing the same clothes as Diana and replies with Raven's voice;

"I am not sure that would be permitted, much less necessary." Wally just stares in surprise before he blurs slightly.

"Yep, its J'onn, she's still talking to the three." He confirms, getting a light chuckle out of the others.

"Hey everyone, sorry we are late, but midtown traffic is always terrible at this time." Richard says as he emerges from the house, followed by Cyborg, Beastboy and Starfire, all wearing holorings while he is wearing a red T-shirt and brown pants, the three are busy taking in their surroundings.

Without another word Richard walks over to the others and slings his arm over J'onn's shoulder, who is still posing as Raven, which make him raise an eyebrow. "So how's my favorite Amazon?"

"Ah, Richard, I am over here?" Raven says as she walks over, having concluded the interviewing session with the three others following her, making Richard stare wide-eyed at her before noticing everyone around him stifling laughs.

"Eh…then this is…?" Richard asks, too dumbstruck to remove his arm.

"I am J'onn J'onzz, I believe we have met before?" J'onn replies as he joins in the fun by smiling at Richard as he talks in his own voice, but maintains Raven's form. The others break out in laughter as Richard almost jumps away from J'onn.

"Ah jeez, sorry J'onn…I walked right into that one, didn't I?"

"You did, but it was not deliberate." J'onn replies as he changes back.

"Wow Rob you really moved away from this to live with Beastboy?" Cyborg asks, the three just becoming aware of the mirth overtaking the group of people. "What's so funny?"

"Only our illustrious leader trying to woo the last Martian." Raven replies.

"Why friend Robin, I did not know you desired the Martian?" Starfire asks innocently, getting most of the assembly to stare in surprise at her.

"Is she always like that?" Shayera whispers to Raven.

"Nicest way to put it is that she has a hard time understanding Earth humor. We weighted it out with her cooking, usually not something we could digest." Raven whispers back.

"Ahh…no Star, I mistook him for Raven, that's all." Richard sighs. "And please, it's Richard, Tim is Robin now and I'm sure he will begin reminding everyone of that at some point?"

"Not when I have you." Tim says happily. "Nice outfit Diana." He notes.

"Thank you." Diana replies as Richard and Cyborg also seem to notice. "So what were you doing downtown?"

"Getting Star some new clothes." Beastboy replies. "So what's up now?"

"Well since that we are all gathered now, I'd like to welcome you all to Wayne Manor, for now there is no plan other than relax and enjoy the company. If anyone is up for it, Richard will know where garden games are hidden, also we have the pool down there but I prefer if the drain is not getting clogged." Bruce adds the last part while looking at Beastboy, who smiles sheepishly at him before giving him two thumbs up. "Other than that, enjoy yourselves."

"Sweet, Rob, you've just been hired to show us around this place before we get lost." Garfield says before he and Cyborg grab him by the arms and drags him inside again, he actually looks a little despaired as he looks at Raven who follows after Tim, as he suggest they go find a croquet set.

"So you're not going to change?" Bruce asks as he and Diana are left alone, as the others begin determining rules they all need to follow for the round of croquet, mainly aimed at those with special powers.

"Hmm, no? Do you disapprove?" She counters with a smile, Bruce just shakes his head and chuckles before taking her hand.

"Let's join in before Clark breaks the mallets." He says before pulling her along, which she allows.

"I heard that." Clark says as they move towards them.

"I can't believe you live in a place like this." Cyborg says again as they walk through another study.

"It's not that special, just a big house." Richard says as they enter the library.

"Ha! When your apartment can fit into one of these living rooms the perspective is a little different." Victor laughs as they exit it again at the other end. "Actually that place seemed like a place Raven would get stuck in."

"Yeah, bet she has?" Garfield continues.

"Not really, since she appeared again she's hardly had a chance to sit down while here." Richard replies.

"True that." Victor agrees. "So what was that back there?"

"The thing with J'onn? I am not sure. I guess Diana and Raven had come dressed for the evening. Bruce sent me to the embassy to get some of her clothes, so I guess she decided to borrow some of Rae's clothes just to surprise him."

"I bet she did." Cyborg agrees before looking over his shoulder to see the silent Starfire walk along with them. "So what do you think about this place Star?"

"It is big… and old." She replies, sounding slightly awe struck, as they enter the main hall with the stairs leading up to the second floor. "I did not think you lived in such a place?"

"Well I am planning on moving out at some point, it's a bit old fashioned for my tastes." Richard admits. "But Bruce will have to be carried out, it's his parents house and all that."

"From one secluded old mansion built on top of a cave to another secluded slightly less old mansion built on top of a cave?" Beastboy asks with a grin playing over his face.

"Actually I was considering a penthouse apartment." Richard replies as they follow him up the stairs. "And up here is where our rooms are. Mine is down the hall to the first right, Bruces to the left, but don't go in there. Tim's is at the bottom to the right, because he likes loud music and Raven's is the first down the second corridor to the left."

"Whoa, Rae's got a room?!" Beastboy asks. "Thought you guys kept her in the cave with all the other bats?"

"Gar…" Richard sighs. "No wait!" He manages, as he sees Beastboy storm off down the hall and around the second left corridor, swiftly followed by the others.

As the three round the corner as well, they are just in time to see Garfield reach forwards and swiftly turn the door handle before a shadow seems to materialize for just a brief second to swallow him before it disappears.

* * *

**Author's notes:** Whops :)


	36. A Knight to Remember

Outside, Clark's turn is interrupted by a short yelp followed by a large splash, making most of the people look up even though Raven had mentioned the possibility of the event happening.

"Wager on it was Richard again?" Tim asks Raven.

"I'd be cheating." She replies before slinging her mallet over her shoulder and walks down to the pool.

"Beastboy, most likely." Bruce shrugs.

"And there you killed the mystery." Tim sighs before striking a menacing pose with his mallet over his head in one hand while pointing at Bruce. "It was the Bat that did it!" He croaks.

"Actually you should remember the amount of times Richard told you about how many attempts he tried getting into her room in the tower." Bruce continues, ignoring the antics and lines up for his shot.

"Garfield." Raven says quietly as she plants the handle of her mallet on the edge of the pool and begins drumming her fingers on its head. While a Beastboy has thrown his arms over the ledge, giving the appearance of a drowned mouse as he looks up.

"Yikes!" He says weakly before shrinking under her stare.

"Still as attracted to my living quarters as ever I see." She continues as a window opens in the façade of the manor behind her, she however notices something else. "You ok?"

"Bellyflop, swallowed some water." He admits.

"Right, up you go." She replies before bending down and grabs the collar of his shirt with one hand and hoists him out of the pool and puts him down on the edge. "How much? Does it hurt?"

"Surprised me that's all." He says, waving her off before getting to his feet. "But it does give me the chance to do this!" He says quickly before turning into a Rough Collie before shaking himself viciously. Turning back be is met by the penetrating stare and the stone face of Raven that is now dripping wet and is covered in long green hair.

"Ok, maybe that wasn't such a bright idea." He says while Raven doesn't flinch, the part of his instinctive brain is screaming at him to run before becoming part of the scenery, a part he wholeheartedly agrees with. "Sorry!" He peeps before fleeing the scene.

Raven stares after him for two seconds before running after him, discarding her slippers at first opportunity, changing shape half way to the mansion. In the lead she can hear the dog shaped Beastboy muttering prayers and hopes about living through the next five minutes as she gets closer. She can predict where he is going as he heads into the house, to the one person that was always left with calming her down; Richard.

"My word." She hears Alfred exclaim as she passes him in the main hall and takes two steps up the stair, ending the chase in her doorway, finding Beastboy lying collapsed against her closets and the other three by her window. Starfire and Victor look worried while Richard looks amused.

"Beastboy." Raven says in a warning tone as she moves towards him.

"Arg! Sorry! Sorry!" He almost yells he covers him self with his arms as she reaches forwards. "Huh?" He looks up in confusion as he is hit on the back of the head as she opens the closet behind him.

"My towels are in here." She says flatly as she shifts back and retrieves a towel for herself before turning to the others, Starfire and Victor now look surprised instead of worried and Richard is suppressing his laugh. "So what brings you guys in here?"

"Ah… him?" Victor tries as he points at Beastboy.

"Well, he better get dried up. So how do you like it?" She shrugs as she dries her face and arms.

"Wah? Aren't you mad we are in here?" Beastboy exclaims in disbelief.

"It's just a room and I had three years of solitude and two weeks of loud people in my head. Besides all my books and personal items went down with the Tower. But now I am going to have to insist on leaving." They take on a surprised look at this. "I am covered in green hair and I need a change of clothes."

"Hey Raven! We are waiting for your turn!" Tim yells from the garden outside.

"One minute!" Raven yells back as she opens another closet and begins rummaging through the selections inside. "You guys mind?" She asks without looking at them.

"But…" Victor continues.

"Richard has a few things you be interested in." Richards laugh dies away instantly as Cyborg races off before following him while Starfire helps Beastboy off the floor. "Star, you can take Cerberus with you. He seems a little too fond of my bed." It is first at this that they notice the dog lying on the bed regarding them with half open eyes.

"Glorious!" Starfire exclaims as the dogs look's up with a sudden worry on its face.

"That was two minutes." Tim says as Raven returns to the game, wearing the pants Sam made for her and a black T-shirt with another band name imprinted over a background of three triangles and a peculiar silhouette of a man riding a horse with eight legs while holding a horn in one hand.

"Uhh, I see someone is retaliating for closet raiding." Shayera says as she recognizes the image.

"Just a T-shirt." Diana shrugs with a smirk, the two had come across it before making their choices, Diana had recognized the image as well, Raven on the other hand had recognized the name as one of the providers of the stuff she had to sing.

"That it is." She agrees. "And I did have to get my mallet back."

"Don't worry, I needed a break anyways." Helena cuts in.

"Oh jeez, I'm sorry Helena. I forgot about you, I never got to finish up." Raven almost drops her mallet and crosses over to the woman.

"Don't mind me, will remind me to cover my backside." Helena waves her off before Raven can summon her healing powers.

"You sure? This isn't just because of what I am?" Raven asks, having noted during her absence minded stay with the Birds that Huntress always wore a cross, under her costume when needed and she actually prayed before going to bed.

"I…" She starts. "Well… Yeah, that's part of it I am afraid." She sighs. "I'm catholic and I don't know what your tricks will do to me in the long run." Raven just nods and backs away while the others look mildly surprised at Helena.

"I understand, but I can promise that I don't gain anything from healing others, other than peace of mind." Raven says, internally she is a little wounded but she had for a long time known that she could come across something like this. "But I can, under some pain, enter then St. Peter's Basilica." This gets Helena's attention.

"We had to go get Zauriel who had been holed up there since Jump City." Bruce adds, but decides not to say anything about what Raven told them about Apollyon. "Etrigan almost passed out from being there."

"And you didn't?" Helena asks.

"I didn't and both Zauriel and Michael was kind enough not to smite me." Raven continues, though she has suspecting Zauriel for bringing her into the basilica so Michael wouldn't risk a fight. "But I did get second degree burns from getting too close to Peter's tomb."

"Michael? The angel?" Helena continues, seemingly growing more confused by the tale.

"He was an angel, and a presumptuous one at that." John continues as he takes his shot, and knocks Bruce's off its current path. "Thought we and the Azerathian's were being held against our will, quite a few did that."

"Hemon wasn't too fond of having his ceremony interrupted." Hawkgirl continues as she takes her shot, ending up on the wrong side of one of the arch's. "Blast."

"Think us lowly mortals need a simpler explanation." Barbara says noticing Helena is beginning to sport that look that wants that.

"I will show you later if you want to." Raven says. "It's probably easier than trying to explain it."

"Good, because I feel like when I had to teach physics." Helena sighs and takes her shot.

The rest of the game continues with more trivial matters being talked about, past glories and a few memorable defeats. Only getting interrupted once when Cerberus thought the wooden balls getting knocked around was for him to play with. After the game ends with Lois' victory, the group retires to the garden tables before breaking apart. As Bruce wants a private chat with Barbara, while J'onn wants a game of chess with Raven and the others wanting to have a few words with the other Titans.

After a narrow victory over J'onn, Raven asks for Barbara and Helena to join her in the study closest to the garden, quickly followed by Lois who wanted to see the place Clark had spent his time in.

"Whoa, kinda dark isn't it?" Lois asks as they appear in Raven's mindscape.

"Where are we?" Helena asks. "And why have I changed clothes?" She notes as she is in full costume.

"We are in Raven's mind." Barbara says as she finds herself on the ground and oddly enough, dressed as Batgirl. "Where's my chair?"

"Oh sorry, I should probably have mentioned this before we went in. In here you are how you see yourself." Raven says as she appears besides the others.

"You mean this is like virtual reality?" Barbara asks.

"I wouldn't know." Raven shrugs. "But I don't think you need your chair in here." Barbara just stares at her for several seconds before she get's to her feet, staring in disbelief down herself.

"This… this is amazing." She manages before thinking of something. "If you don't mind, I'd like my chair here, I don't think I want to be surprised when we get out again."

"Of course." Raven says as she conjures a wheelchair for the redhead. "Well this is my mind, here I can do anything like you can inside yours." She says to Lois. "Now, since we don't have the time for the full tour that J'onn took, I think you should see Azarath. Allow me." Raven says as she has the rock they are standing on float upwards to the city.

"Can I ask why it's so dark in here?" Lois begins.

"And cold?" Helena adds.

"As Hemon once put it, it's tranquil." Raven replies. "Since I have to maintain a calm mind at all time, my mind has to be this way. Like comparing fire to ice, one is cold, unmoving and calm, the other is hot, active and wild."

"So this isn't the same for everyone?" Helena asks.

"No, the Flash's minds are probably the opposite of mine, because of the speeds they work at."

"Pity he never seems to use it that much." Lois adds.

"He does actually, but he doesn't want anything more from life than what he has at the moment. And he has to put up with us, to him we move at a snails pace." Raven replies, it had been one of the things that had come up during the final night. "And here we are." She continues as the rock levels itself to the rock under Azerath.

"Are those… ghosts?" Lois asks as they see the first of the inhabitants in the market J'onn first arrived at.

"Yes. Like I said, these are the people that raised me, Trigon destroyed the city five years ago. But he cursed them to remain in the dimension they resided in, I showed up later in search of aid and they sought refuge inside of me." Raven explains as they head into the city.

"Can I ask what Trigon really was?" Helena asks.

"Really? He was demon overlord. A ruler of one of Hells many provinces, considered by some of the other leaders a dangerous one, and far too powerful to be bullied into place, which sadly speaks volumes of how powerful they thought he was."

"So Hell does exist?" Barbara adds.

"Of course, Zauriel and Etrigan are in the League after all." Raven replies while wondering how she doubted that.

"So is there an actual… Satan?" Helena continues.

"Yes, but how I understand it is that is a title down there, one of several given to the ruler of the Greater Hell. See Hell is divided into countless minor provinces, one each for a deity of the underworld's in various religions. As I saw it, as religions has more followers, the bigger the province as more believers end down there. Most of this universes' religions seem to have merged into the Greater Hell along with Christianity's version. There are exceptions of course, with atypical realms being kept apart from the rest. "

"So all the smaller fry follow the big guy in the center?" Lois asks.

"If he or she tells them to, but otherwise they are always warring between one another, something Satan actually encourages, since it keeps them from plotting against them. Trigon however has few mortal followers in this universe, but he dragged the one he was born in down to hell and formed his own province, one he kept fiercely independent from the rest of hell. From what I have been told, the other rulers down there would dearly have liked to remove or diminish him if he didn't have as many minions as he had."

"So who follows him here on Earth?" Helena continues.

"The Church of Blood is the most well known, it's the state religion in Zandia, but mostly it is through secret cults he receives worship. But he may have taken other names, Scath is one."

"So let me get this straight, Satan isn't an actual person, but someone is in charge down there and there was a Michael?" Lois continues. "So correct me if I am wrong, there is a Lucifer too?"

"There is, but the guy currently in charge down there is called Neron. Lucifer does exist however and did rule Hell for millennia before he got bored and vacated the seat, he runs a bar in New Orleans now." Raven shrugs.

"Whoa, he's here?!" Helena almost shouts.

"He is, trying to run his bar in relative peace. Had to go persuade him to let us have one of his feathers for the ritual, believe me, he isn't like anything you might think, other than he presses every button you might have just to see what you'll do." Raven explains as they pass through the statue square, while Hope regards them from a corner.

"So he's a barkeeper and… an asshole?" Lois surmises.

"That he is." Raven agrees. "They made this to commemorate the day Trigon fell." She says as she motions at the statue of herself.

"Cute." Lois notes. "You know, this isn't what I expected from the mind of a half-demon?"

"You should have seen Anger's place before she redecorated." Raven replies with a smirk. "Come, you need to see this before I say anything further." She says before forming a disk under them and flies to the council tower. "This is my mother; Arealla." Raven points out as the land outside, spotting the ghost feeding the pigeons.

"Your mother?" Lois asks in surprise.

"That I am Ms. Lane." Arella says quietly without looking up. "I will not burden you with my story, but I am closer now to my daughter than ever before."

"She wasn't allowed to be even near me when I was a child." Raven adds. "Now observe." She says before the double doors swing open. "Tell me what you see." She says as they enter.

"Umm, lots of you's?" Lois starts.

"Your closet?" Helena continues.

"Your emotions." Barbara concludes.

"Precisely." Raven says with a smirk. "In order for me to ease my control over my emotions, I fractured them into representatives like this. When Azerath moved in, I was advised to set up a council like this to make it easier to govern them all. Outside of Azerath there are places where these hold sway, while also being here. Everything I do pass through here and voted on for before it is acted on, normally I never notice it and it happens at the speed of thought."

"So we are like this really?" Lois reasons.

"Basically you are, you just don't have the hassle of being a risk if you can't manage them all." Raven replies. "And yes, even with all of this, it happens that I lose control."

"Let me guess, the one with the red cloak?" Barbara points out.

"In the past, I was not myself, my colleague next to me was very much in control of me." The red cloaked emotion says, elbowing the red-skin next to her.

"That was the demonic side of me, still is, but I am in control of it now." Raven says as Carnage remains motionless.

"So if it got out, you would be like Etrigan?" Huntress asks.

"Very, possibly worse since Jason is always reigning him in when he is out." Raven replies. "Anyways, I think it's time we get back, unless you want to see more?"

"I'd want my camera along." Lois adds.

"So just to recap, you are a demon, but it is your human side that runs the show?" Helena asks.

"Indeed." Raven agrees.

"Hmm good enough for me, these wounds of mine is killing me." Helena says with a smirk, getting a chuckle out of Barbara.

Later in the evening they are all summoned to the main dining hall, where Alfred had prepared a feast worthy of royalty. The man himself admitted he had recruited suitable aid to prepare it all, the others guess he had been out and borrowed some of the finest chefs in Gotham. But before they are seated, they go change into the evening dinner wear. The men change into black suits, except for J'onn who changes into a white one and change into his green self, and the women change into fine dresses, Starfire and Shayera into light pink ones that share the same design only in varying in length, Starfire's goes down to her feet, while Shayera's go down to her knees. Lois changes into one similar to Starfire's only black and Linda into a long flowing red one, she insisted on wearing this since she had never visited Wayne Manor before but knew of its gallant reputation. While Diana and Raven change into the ones they arrived in. The only two not having redressed is Helena and Barbara.

"Nice dress Raven." Richard comments as the two Amazons appear.

"Thank you, Richard."

"I am almost scared to ask for the tailor, Themysciran?" Linda asks.

"They are, we didn't have time to have new ones made, so these are copies of the ones from the ball." Diana says while admiring her own dress.

"They are nice." Starfire agrees.

"Agreed." Bruce adds. "But it's the people that wear them that make it so." He says while smiling slightly at Diana, Raven is actually a bit surprised that she picks up an iota of nervousness from him before hearing a polite cough behind them.

"Dinner is served." Alfred announces proudly as he pushes in a serving trolley.

The group quickly have themselves seated, at a grand round table with the couples seated next to each other. And the more unofficial couples suspiciously seated next to each other as well. Meaning Bruce had Diana on his right with Raven on his left. Raven has Richard at her side while Diana has J'onn, while they have Victor and the Kent's next to them. Next to Clark is Tim and Shayera and John sit next to Victor. Tim has Barbara next to him. While Starfire and Beastboy complete the circle with the West's and a freshly healed Helena in between.

As Alfred is making his round of handing out the appetizers, salmon, Bruce rises from his seat and lightly taps one of his three glasses with the butt of his knife, the table almost immediately falls silent.

"First of all, I would once again thank you all for coming today. And I promise to keep this short, as I can hear belly's rumble. Safe to say, a few of us here have had quite an extraordinary experience over these last few weeks. And some of us had to endure being a place where we could not do what comes natural to us in our line of work and had to sit on the sideline. But with that said, our experience will seem as nothing when compared to the trials our host had to go through for us to have his dinner here. If you will raise your glass with me." He says as he picks up the glass of water already provided to everyone. "And lets all thank Raven for our return." He says before raising his glass in Raven's direction followed by the others.

"Thank you." They all say before taking a mouthful, while Raven blushes madly before she gets up as Bruce sits down.

"I… well thank you, but I was only doing my job and I am glad it all worked out." She admits, getting a bunch of snickers as she sits down again.

"And with our lively speakers quieting down again, I do hope no one leaves tonights table with a sense of hunger. Bon appetite." Alfred says.

Richard's greatest fear of this dinner is immediately dispelled when Starfire does not leap across the table like she did the time the Titans visited Tamaran. While Beastboy quietly swaps his salmon for her vegetables, while J'onn and Wally manage a similar arrangement.

Following the appetizer Alfred wheels in a large assortment of different foods and politely asks what they each prefer, even supplying Starfire with a jar of mustard, much to the surprise of the others after she drinks it like water. Beastboy is quick to support her with a glass of water when she discovers the mustard to be much stronger flavor than the sweet kind she used to drink, Victor wins a hard fought battle against his own amusement and keep it to a snicker at the look she wore at the experience.

After Alfred makes his round with the meal, he makes a second pass with a cart of drinks. Bruce has water as usual, as does J'onn and Helena, while Tim and Garfield have soda. The rest settle for a single glass of wine, even Raven who braves a glass of red wine. While they eat, they talk, swapping stories again adding the various adventures of the Titans.

The now infamous Tofu-newspaper is brought up again, as is an incident when Beastboy had replaced Richard's hair gel with superglue, the virus incident that sent Victor into a feeding frenzy, Starfire's attempt at cooking metal screws and Raven's haunting the tower. Bruce again settles for adding the darker story of the evening, one where he jumped a mob hit man who promptly threw up over Bruce's boots out of fright. Diana continues with the story of a certain redhead that decided to wake her squad in the middle of the night for an orientation exercise in the nearby forest, only for her to be the only one that got lost. Clark adds his first encounter with the dimensional jumping Mr. Mxyzptlk and the chaos that followed. Wally adds a strange story of the Trickster that once tried to bomb him, only to have all his own clothes blown off in the middle of a shopping mall. At around half past nine Alfred begins collecting the dishes and the party begins stretching legs, preparing for the dessert. Bruce sends Barbara a look, one that she nods shortly at before wheeling herself out. Bruce waits a few moments before getting up and instructs Alfred to serve the dessert at his pleasure, before walking back to Raven.

"Raven, there is something I need you to see." He says to the woman, who looks at him in surprise before quickly nodding and follows him out, which does not go unnoticed by Richard.

"I suspect I am not going to get anything more out of you before we get there?" She asks as they head down to the study.

"No, but it is important." He says as he dials the clock face to the time that opens the passageway, the time of his parent's murder, letting Raven enter before he follows and closes the entryway. "Here, even Clark can't hear us." He says as they make their way down the stairs and into the cave.

"So what is it?" Raven asks, getting slightly worried, Bruce taps her shoulder with a case. Which Raven takes and opens, finding a silver necklace lined with diamonds.

"Do you think she will like it?" He asks, as Raven studies the accessory.

"Diana? She would adore this." Raven replies as she closes the case and hands it back to him as they enter the cave for him to sit down in front of the computer, internally she is even more confused he took her down here for that alone. "But she would prefer you." She adds.

"I know." He says as he pockets the case. "Long ago I studied human behaviour and I still stand by what I learned, one of those lessons was that relationships within a team will always lead to problems, always."

"But…?" Raven says, urging him to continue.

"You know how long I spent in Happy's realm after we encountered the doubles." He continues.

"Yes, it became the third most visited realm for you, after Wisdom and Bravery." She replies remaining silent for a second. "What is this really about?"

"Our time in your mind it… it got me thinking, if I should one day retire or be forced to. What was I going to do then? And more importantly, am I going to be alone when this happens?" He explains.

"It was a bit of a revelation that you were stuck in a place with no need for a Batman and you caught a glimpse of another life, one that, in one form or another, is actually possible?" Raven asks.

"Exactly, the problem is that I wonder if I will lose her respect if I try? Or if I prove to be something she didn't want." He says while boring holes in the wall with his eyes as Raven just stares at him in disbelief.

"Try as I might, I cannot tell you how such a relationship would work out, since I have never been in a real one. But I can say that, until an incident on Themyscira, I was scared of each new day, because they all held the possibility of me finally falling to my other side. After taking a good long look at myself and my actions that day and decided, I couldn't live like that any more, I didn't want to. I'm not the scared girl that fled Azerath any more, not entirely at least, I try to be the Amazon that Hippolyta and Diana decided to make me and I have found it to be better than hiding away in a dark room pouring over possible doomsday prophesies that could be tagged on me. To make a long tale short, I took a chance and won, so far. You can win as well by taking a chance, if you won't take the risk it you won't lose anything, but you won't gain anything either."

"Would it have been worth it if you lost?" He asks.

"I am not sure, my biggest worry was that Azerath would leave me in outrage over it, but Hemon said that I had taken the responsibility of my own life and destiny into my own hands the night I left Azerath and that deep down I knew what accepting Hippolyta's offer could bring. But had they announced their departure, I would have stood my ground over my choice."

"What was the incident?" He asks.

"A training exercise, a General Philipus wanted to test me and tasked the six of us to retrieve a box from a guarded clearing, what no one expected was that a Cyclops decided to show up. Antiope, who I trained with, blinded it while everyone else was without proper weapons to drive it away, the thing was the size of a three story building. I was told that the eye could never be restored and the creature was doomed, with Diana out of armor, I was asked to end its suffering." She sighs. "I asked it if what I was told was true, which it confirmed, it died without further pain." She explains as she sees he had drifted into Batman while he stares at her intimately. "Are you disappointed?"

"No, I am not, I took a vow to save all human life, and I have seen what a Cyclops is capable of." He says. "And you are right, if I don't take the chance, I won't win anything." He continues. "But that was not all the reason why I asked you down here."

"Go on?" Raven says as she notices he is pausing for effect.

"I am going to ask for starters; what was it like for you to have Terra completely at your mercy?"

Raven is taken aback at the question for a second before replying. "You gave me an order and I carried it out. But I will admit; it felt good seeing her that scared, first at me, then at where she got dumped."

"But I did give you a sufficient amount of leniency to inflict a great amount of harm on her, why didn't you? She would have deserved every bit of it."

"That she would have. But I had an order of bringing her alive and without permanent injury from A to B and I will not spend a second longer than I have to in her presence." Raven says wondering if he was about to criticize her for not mauling the blond.

"And beside the fist in the stomach, you did nothing?"

"I only used words, what she took them as, is her problem." Raven replies flatly. "But if she gets out, then she is just another murderous psychotic that needs putting in her place. My kids deserve justice, they believed in that and I will make sure that is what they get, vengeance in this case will lead to nothing." She continues as Bruce continues to regard her intently before getting out of his seat to stand right in front of her, oddly reminding her of when she first appeared in the cave while they meet each others eyes.

"That is what I hoped to hear from you. Follow me." He says before turning around and heads over to the platform near the chemical lab and down the stairs. "Coming?" He asks as he knows she is still standing that the computer.

Quickly she hurries after him, wondering what the man is hiding and why her stomach is acting like a roller coaster all of a sudden. She catches up with him as he heads down another level, noting that wheel chair ramps had been added to the insides of the stairs, passing the small trophy collection housed here, down to the level where a more sophisticated crime lab than the one at the computer is housed before leading into a section Raven had not seen before, since the steel doors were always closed. Bruce heads towards this door that opens after a laser grid scan him.

"This is my R&D lab, where I cook up my inventions or modify those of others so they cant be traced." He says without turning as the doors part and allows them into a well lit room, with blueprints and basic drawings on the wall of various gadgets and vehicles, Raven notes in particular something that looks like an attack helicopter. "It's an old idea I have yet to find a proper application for. But in case we have another gang war like the one that took Tim's parents, its presence may deter many of them."

"None of the Leaguers know about this place?" Raven asks feeling strangely honored to have been admitted into this place.

"They know I make most of my equipment, but they don't know this lab is here and for a certain reason, see here." He says as he walks over to what looks like the door to a small bank vault and opens it by turning the circular handle and pushes. Inside stand piled boxes of glowing green crystals and of other varieties and other seemingly random items.

"Kryptonite?" Raven asks as she recognizes the crystals as having the same glow as the piece she saw in Metallo's chest and in Terra's lair.

"Yes, this is where I keep the last resorts. I began having this storage after Clark was brainwashed by Darksied and he entrusted me with a piece of Kryptonite in case he ever became lost again. I knew then as I do now, that single piece he gave me would never be enough to stop him completely so I collected more, finding other strains than the green. But I also began to wonder, what if Clark was not the only one it could happen to? What if it was Diana or John that lost it? What would happen if J'onn decided to purge the globe of people he didn't like?"

"These are countermeasures against your friends and allies?" Raven says, wondering how the same people would take it if they don't know. "Do they know?"

"No, but they suspect it, because of the favour Clark asked of me being well known. If the worst scenario happens, they will look to me for an answer, but they will have exhausted every other option before that, and I will mourn the day I am forced to use even one of these."

"And if it is you who cross the line?" Raven asks.

"I am only human, and not all of these are of any use in a straight up fight." Bruce replies flatly.

"But why are you showing me this? This could prove disastrous to you in case I one day lose it?"

"It could prove the same with Tim, Dick and Barbara who also know of this place. The boys could use it themselves, Barbara could tell the world of its existence. But I am confident in that you are only in the same risk as the rest of us." He says as he closes the door again and walks to another vault-like door. "Now before I show you what's on the other side, I want you to know it is a genuine offer and that I was considering to offer something like it even before you left for Themyscira the first time."

Raven is almost loosing control over her powers as Bruce opens the door, while blocking the view as he enters and stands aside, letting the interior show. Revealing a mostly dark room, only lit by a single cone of light in the center. Raven is speechless as she enters, staring wide-eyed at the object suspected in the cone of light.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Evil cliffy :)


	37. A Bat Flies Once More

"I… I don't know what to say… I can't be worthy of that?" Raven stammers as she regards the black pointy eared costume sections hanging on the rack staring back at her.

In her eyes it looks like an all black version of Batman's costume, complete with long armored gloves with scallops attached to the sides, heavy looking boots and a sand-gray utility belt. There are differences however, it is most notably the silhouette of the eye-catching yellow bat emblem across the chest and that the cowl will completely cover the wearer's face, where Batman has his mouth and jaw visible, this one is covered by a piece of black cloth. As is the eyes that leaves the wearer to be essentially faceless.

"Yes you are." Raven almost jumps as Barbara speaks up, revealing her presence. "You have the basic skills needed, you are determined and you will do what it takes to save lives giving little thought about what it may result in for yourself."

"But…?" Raven manages as she is overwhelmed, she didn't come to Gotham for this, she never even imagined they would consider it.

"I will explain." Bruce says. "I see a huge potential in you Raven and I **want** you in Gotham. Outside this cave, the gangs and hoodlums are growing worse than before and as much I hate to admit it, we need help. But we need the human kind and this is where I tell you of the restrictions I am going to impose on you if you take up the offer. Because Gotham is the way it is, we are low on actual meta human threats, and I want it to be kept that way, we have enough to deal with the endless line of psychos this city produces and a collection of the strongest organized crime families in the US. If a superhuman like yourself begins operating here in the open, you will draw the attention of other meta humans and short sighted demons that will come here just for you. This city can't take those as well and deal with the latest rampage. So if you choose to accept, all those powers you possess, they will stay hidden at all time, unless in the most dire circumstances."

"So you have to do this like an ordinary human." Barbara surmises.

"But what about?" Raven asks as she plinks her bracelet. "According to Diana, I am more resilient to blunt damage and…"

"I know and there is an old craft that teaches the student how to ignore pain, I have lost count on how many times some thug just stares at me after he hit me. As for your massive strength, I will teach you how to fight without needing to employ it. You will know where light touches from you can prove almost crippling, our opponents won't ever know you can lift a truck." Bruce continues.

"And the League and the Amazons?" Raven asks.

"This one is on me." Barbara says. "Gotham is notorious for its solitary Bat-family, but only two are known to have any connections to the League. Then there's Raven, a team player, once a defender of Jump City, has recently been revealed to be an Amazon then as a powerful half-demon and a member of the Justice League. And that is where the Raven needs to be, out there and face down the invasions and the super-threats this world faces. But when not dealing with those, how one know where Raven goes and waits?"

"This is the deal." Bruce cuts in. "If you choose to take it, you can operate in Gotham as a member of this outfit. But you will have to leave Raven behind, she works with the League and the Shadowpact and deals with the threats they face, but here you wear that and follow the rules that follow it. And unless I tell you otherwise, for now, that costume stays in Gotham. Remember, this is a sacred trust I am offering you, but I know you are up to it."

"This isn't just because of what we have been through?" Raven asks Bruce.

"No, I asked Barbara for her approval of this the day you met her. But before that, when I sent you away to find Richard in Jump City, if you had been rejected by him and come back here, I would have tested you and if you proved up to it, you could have been the second Robin. What that would have been like, I don't know, but I am certain you would not be the same person you are today."

"And you?" Raven asks as she turns to Barbara.

"You have my approval, from what I hear, you have literally gone through hell to bring Bruce and the others back, and leapt to shield some kid from several tons of falling masonry with your own body even if you didn't know if it would injure you. Also, you are smart, which will save you in this business longer than any amount of superpowers will. And I think it is time for me to pass on my mantle." She pauses for a second. "Better not ruin it." She adds with a smile.

"I… I'm overwhelmed." Raven manages. "I didn't expect this."

"Think about how your friends will react when they find out." Barbara adds, the image of one slack-jawed Richard, two collapsed boys and a wondering Starfire brings a smile to Raven's face.

But it also sends a lot of other thoughts racing through her mind. By accepting this, she could be put on the reserve list of the League as she will be spending most of her time here in Gotham. Would Diana and Hippolyta accept it? Could she even handle having this many places to feel responsible for? Then another thought enters her head, this would force her to be human, no magic, no extreme displays of superhuman powers, just her pretending to be human, like Clark Kent. But then it strikes her, they are all trying to blend in and just be human when not dealing with wrongdoers, she may have been running from one situation into the next ever since returning to Gotham, but there were bound to be times when she had to sit on the sideline.

"So what do you think?" Bruce asks, as she seems to come back to them.

"It will be difficult to juggle with it all, but I will try and live up to the faith you are showing me." She says as she looks him in the eyes before she, to the surprise of both Bruce and Barbara, hugs him. "Thank you." Bruce just smiles before patting her back.

"Reminds me of the night you finally gave me your approval to be around." Barbara says as Raven lets go.

"Sorry, that was out of character." Raven says as she straightens up. "So I guess I have to take a new name with this?"

"Well, I think Batgirl is the most appropriate since it would seem like you are married to Bruce if you go for Batwoman." Barbara says before getting a hug as well.

"And the Shadow is still wanted for twelve counts of assault and is considered extremely dangerous." Bruce adds.

"Pity, I kinda liked that name. But Batgirl flies again?" Raven sighs as she lets go of Barbara.

"That she does." Barbara confirms. "Now how about that dessert? I am not going to miss out on Alfred's chocolate soufflé."

"Good idea, but one thing Raven, let's keep this between us till we are going to send off John's ring." Bruce adds.

"Richard will fall off a building." Raven replies. "So when is the first flight?"

"Tomorrow night unless something pops up, I have requested a single night off; we have a reason to celebrate." Bruce says as he effortlessly drifts back into his playboy persona. "After all today's paper reads that Wayne Enterprises has acquired Lex Corp, thanks to the almost suspicious actions of a purple headed woman and a pile of recently acquired documents."

"There you are; what kept you?" Richard asks as the three appear back in the dining room as the rest are halfway through their soufflé. "You look a little flushed Rae?"

"It's nothing." Raven replies dryly.

"Nope, you always say that when it's something." Richard counters before taking another mouthful.

"But I am not going to tell you." Raven finishes before taking her first spoon full. "This is good." She notes, partially to move the subject along and also because it's true, making Raven wonder why Starfire, Cyborg and Beastboy aren't through theirs yet.

"Told you." Barbara replies as she digs in as well.

"So Bruce what were you three doing?" Richard continues.

"Private conversation."

"Barbara?" Richard tries.

"Not tonight Rich, I haven't had Alfred's soufflé in ages." Barbara continues.

"And it's delicious." Lois adds. "Any chance Alfred will part with the recipe?"

"Bound to be a family secret or something." Wally adds.

"Not necessarily Mister West, I happened upon it on the back of a milk carton." Alfred replies as he walks in, getting smirks out of Tim, Bruce and Raven who spot the sarcasm. "But I do hope the taste is adequate."

"Think the table agrees that everything was delicious." Clark says as he wipes the corners of his mouth with his napkin.

"Yup. To the chef." Cyborg says as he holds up his glass, which is followed by the rest of them.

"Why thank you." Alfred replies as he bows slightly.

"So perhaps it's time to send off that old ring of mine?" John suggest as he sees Raven, Bruce and Barbara pick up pace to finish up.

"Probably a good idea, but dressed like this?" Shayera asks as she looks down herself.

"I think we should send it off as it has come to know us." Clark continues.

"A good idea, Raven would you mind getting the lantern and the ring, they are in the vault." Bruce says as he finishes, casting a quick look at the ceiling, Raven gives him a slight nod before getting up knowing what he was talking about. She can't actually help herself when she teleports down to the cave.

"You wouldn't think this is Gotham." John notes at the stars above him, as he is standing with J'onn, Lois, Linda, Wally, Starfire, Beastboy, Cyborg, Helena and Barbara, waiting for the others to appear.

"Yeah, I thought it was always cloudy here?" Wally adds.

"Well it has sunshine in the daytime too." Cyborg replies.

"On average, Gotham has 15% more overcast weather than other cities due to its situation." Batman says as he emerges from the house followed by Nightwing and Robin.

"Who would have thought a few hundred miles would make such a difference?" Lois adds thinking about Metropolis.

"Well in this weather you will be lucky if you can see the bat signal." Tim adds.

"Don't tempt fate Tim, may be one of the very rare quiet nights." Richard continues.

"Guess a quiet night for you is only a handful of criminals." Beastboy says.

"Actually it is." Richard continues. "But if the special cases are out we take that as a handful, even if that is the only one."

"Reminds me, we need to discuss Luthor at some point." Bruce sighs. "We don't know how much he knows from his exposure to the Spectre."

"I wouldn't worry too much about that." Richard says. "I kept an eye on him since Jump, Waller has him in a medically induced coma, apparently scared that he may have some leftover juice. She's been calling the station several times to hear when J'onn is back from his 'trip to Mars' to have a look at him."

"Well that's good to hear." Clark says. "I'd hate to come home to an irradiated apartment, so what do we do when he gets up?" He says, despite the risk, he was certain Luthor would one day wake up.

"Well, I would dig up the skeleton in our closet, but I know it's not up for discussion." Shayera says as she exits the building with Diana right behind her.

"It was a mistake to do it in the first place; it will be the same again." John shrugs.

"This some big secret of the League we aren't supposed to hear?" Cyborg asks noticing how they are obviously uncomfortable with this reminder.

"Before you met him, Dr. Light learned the identity of the Elongated Man, being the coward that he is; he went after his wife Sue instead." Batman says. "I and a few others, including Zatanna got wind of it. They arrived first and found out what he had done to her. When I got there, there had been a vote amongst them to have Zatanna erase Light's memories and 'clean him up a little' and she was just finishing up. I have a rule that has since become League policy, we are never to alter a person's personality, as much as we might want to in some cases. I tried to enforce that back then, in return, Zatanna erased my memory of ever being there."

"Man, and this is the guy we took as a complete fool?" Cyborg says as he rubs his head.

"Did the Sue survive?" Starfire asks.

"She did, she's fine today, but it took her half a year to get over it." Batman replies.

"Not to breach the regulations or anything, but what if Luthor knows?" Linda asks. "I know some of you are hard to get to, but me and Lois aren't. And we both know how long an arm Luthor has."

"We can for starters hand out league communicators or alarms, as a safety measure." Wally suggests. "And follow company policy?"

"It will do for starters." Batman says. "As long as Luthor is out, the threat is for now minimal and none of you should have to move or change names because of this."

"So where's Rae with that ring? Isn't she the last one missing?" Beastboy asks, trying to lighten the mood.

"I've been here for the last five minutes, admiring the view." Raven says from above them.

"She sure is… quiet?" Superman says as he looks up with rest of them, spotting a single figure standing on the ridge of the roof, with her back to the moon, her silhouette shows off the pointed ears and the cape falling behind her and the large lantern in her left hand, the others just stare, while Bruce and Barbara smiles slightly.

The figure remains up there for a second more before sliding down the copper plates of the roof, just before the reaching the gutter she leaps into a forwards somersault and drops the eight meters down, turning around in mid air and spreads her cape out that acts like a parachute before landing in a crouch in the middle of the assembly on the terrace before getting up.

"That has got to be, _the_ most awesome thing that I have ever seen!" Beastboy exclaims after a second of strange silence.

"Sister?" Diana asks not believing her own eyes.

"Rae… is that… you?" Richard asks, equally failing to believe what he is seeing even if he knew it was.

"No, Raven is a member of the Justice League and an Amazon. You can call me Batgirl." The figure says while the covered mouth piece reveals a teasing smile. Richard just stares some more, like Beastboy and Cyborg do.

"Then, you are not friend Raven?" Starfire asks almost timidly.

"Bruce, I am not just seeing things?" Wally asks.

"No, this is as real as any of us and a deal I've made with Raven, she has proved to many that she is in the League and an Amazon. As you all know about the rules I have about this city and the reasons I enforce them, this is what she will do to operate here. She is still a Leaguer and an Amazon and you can still call her when you need her help." Batman says as he moves to stand behind Raven and puts his hands on her shoulders in an almost fatherly manner. John nods and pulls a mock pout telling them he is impressed.

"Well, I have to say that, I guess none of us here expected it, but congratulation kid. Let just hope my ring doesn't have you deported back to Oa." He says as Diana steps forwards to stand right in front of Raven with her balled fists on her hips.

"So another allegiance made Sister?"

"Yes, do you disapprove?" Raven asks, some of the others do manage to wonder if Wonder Woman would disapprove during the few seconds they wait for a reply.

"You join forces with the most formidable man on the planet, no I do not disapprove, but I expect you to bring your knowledge back to Themyscira." Diana says sternly before smiling at her.

"I will." Raven says. "So how about we see where this goes?" She asks and holds up the lantern.

"Good idea." John says as he takes it from her. "Got the ring too?" Raven picks the small green object out of one of her belt compartments and flips it to him. Beastboy is oddly enough reminded a movie he once saw as John regards his old badge of office. "It's strange, you know? It's such a small thing, yet it's widely considered the most powerful weapon in the universe. I hope it finds someone other than that other guy."

"Well the ultimate asshole as a GL sounds like fun too." Shayera adds.

"So how do we do this?" Wally asks.

"Honestly, I don't know. The rings always find their own bearers; this will be one of the few times a Lantern retires before he's dead." John replies.

"So are you going to toss it into the air?" Beastboy asks.

"No, I think it's out of juice." He says as he holds the Lantern out in front of him. Putting his fist with the ring inside of it, he recites the oath as green energy begins streaming out of the lantern:

"In brightest day, in blackest night!

No evil shall escape my sight!

Let those who worship evil's might

Beware my power

Green Lantern's light!"

As the light dies away and John retracts his hand and opens his palm, they can all see the ring glow green as it hovers up circle over their heads.

"Green Lantern of sector 2814 deceased, scanning sector for sentie…warning, ring compromised… patching uplink to Oa… stand by." John's eyes go wide at the information.

"MOVE!" He yells as a green flash is emitted a few seconds after they have hurried away, with Barbara quickly being moved away with the help of Wally.

As the bright green flash dies away, there is a new group of people occupy the terrace, Ganthet with three other guardians two males and a female accompanied by the four Lantern's; Hal Jordan, Kilowog, Katma Tui and another human with what can best be described as a pot cut style of hair as it is long down to a line that goes just under the tip of his ears while his uniform is the usual green and black and white, his only green is on his vest and the white is only on his boots, gloves and the wide belt he wears. Through the dinner party is quickly reached the unspoken agreement to hide the identities, and so does Lois and Linda.

"Well this hardly looks apocalyptic to me." The unknown human says, sounding slightly disappointed.

"Gotham is a rough town Guy, but it's not a circle of hell." John says as he stands up from behind the railing he had taken refuge behind. "And believe me, I've seen it."

"What the…pPoozzer! It's you!" Kilowog exclaims as he recognizes John. "Whataya doin' outta' uniform?"

"John? They told us you were dead?" Katma asks.

"Well, we all were." John says as the others emerge as well. "Temporarily, so what brings you all here?"

"Hold up, I wanna be out of Gotham before I bump into…" Guy says as he backs away from the other and right into. "him." He says as he slowly turns around and finds Batman staring at him.

"Gardner, I thought I told you to stay out?" The man in black rumbles.

"Despite the quarrel with Green Lantern of sector 2814 Guy Gardener, our presence here was believed necessary when contact was reestablished with your ring." The female guardian says. "We are however perplexed John Steward of Earth, how you were reported deceased, yet you stand before us now?"

"Well that would be her fault." John says pointing out Raven who is standing behind Guy.

"WOW! Jeez!" The man says as he notices her as well. "Damn it Bats do you breed them to do that?"

"I believe the change in attire is warranting a different name than the one you used last we met?" Ganthet asks as he regards her obviously seeing right through the costume.

"It has." Raven agrees. "You want to know everything that has been going on?"

"We do, never before has a power ring been lost like this, and neither have we seen a dead Lantern return." One of the two male guardians says.

"Well, I hope I don't pass out this time." Raven sighs as Ganthet floats up to her eye height.

"This time you aren't resisting." Ganthet says before his eyes glow green as he and Raven lock eyes for two brief seconds. "Seems our threat index of you was justified. And a difficult journey you had undertaken and to answer your question John Steward, Parallax is fear incarnate an opposite to our Ion, the embodiment of will, Green Lantern Hal Jordan was briefly possessed by it once before we Guardians drove it out."

"Not my most glorious moment." Hal admits. "But how did you know about that?"

"And how come I am the only one who seems to not know who this is?" Guy asks as he points at Raven. "Bat's and GL's don't mix!"

"You aren't, we haven't met her before?" Katma asks.

"Is Sinestro still in a hospital bed?" Raven asks.

"Oh, it's you. And yes he is." Katma realizes. "Guy, a word of advice; doesn't make her mad."

"Bah." Guy grumbles. "Nothing beats a powering."

"Anyways, what now?" John asks the Guardians.

"Your ring must find its wearer as per protocol." Ganthet says as the ring again flies around the groups.

"Scanning for suitable candidates… candidates found… Batman of Earth, Batgirl of Earth, Nightwing of Earth, John Steward of Earth, you possess the ability to overcome great fear." It says as it circles the candidates.

"Hmm, perhaps there it is spoiled for choice." Ganthet notes. "We will let you decide." He says before the Guardians disappear in a flash of green.

"Ok?" Wally asks at the sudden departure.

"So a choice between me and three Bats?" John continues. "I am cool about it if you want it." Batman takes a single look at Raven and Nightwing before stepping forwards.

"There isn't a choice." Batman says as he offhandedly grabs the ring while staring at John. "This is yours." He says as he flips it to him and turns away.

"You serious man?" John asks, clearly surprised. "You could be a great Lantern, and prove what you have been saying all these years?"

"I belong in Gotham, and I would hate to have you say, 'I told you so'." Batman says without turning.

"You two?" John continues looking at Raven and Nightwing.

"I got enough on my plate." Raven says.

"I think it belongs to you as long as you live." Nightwing continues. "Besides, he is not going to let me." He continues as he thumbs Batman.

"Phew, no bats in the corp." Guy sighs.

"I take what I said earlier back, that has to be the ultimate asshole." Shayera whispers to Wally, who gives her a nod.

"Bat's punched him out when the guy wanted to fight him, with one hit." Wally whispers back. It was considered a bit of an urban myth on the Watchtower, one that could be tracked to back Hal Jordan, who had said Guy thought he could take Batman's spot in the League.

"Well, seems we get to keep you John." Superman says, ignoring the banter as John puts the ring on and changes costume.

"Yeah, means Kyle can receive some additional training if needed." John agrees, while looking at Katma. "Thanks."

"So you Bat's girlfriend or something?" Guy asks Raven who just quirks an unseen eyebrow at him at the question.

"Are you on purpose trying to provoke a fight or something?" Raven counters.

"Just an honest question." Guy shrugs. "So you off duty later on?" He continues as he reaches forwards with one hand to touch her shoulder that is swiftly grabbed and twisted so far that Guy swiftly finds his face in the ground and his ass in the sky.

"Easy rule Gardner, Bat and other people don't like being touched." Nightwing says before he lets go of the arm.

"Jeez, lighten up…" Gardner grumbles.

"Thank you." Raven replies as Nightwing passes her.

"And you wonder how you get on Batman's bad side." Jordan mentions as he offers Guy a hand to get up.

"I was just asking a damn question, how'd I suppose to know she was taken?" Guy complains.

"One, you didn't ask, two I wouldn't be interested in any case." Raven replies flatly.

"Why? Batboy got something I don't?" Guy snaps, obviously she just set him off.

"I think we need to separate you two before someone gets injured." Hal says as he forms a green wall between Guy and the Bat-clan.

"No way! I'm insulted! And I will have a piece of one of those two! I'll even take off my ring to get it!" Guy shouts in Jordan's face.

"Guy, you can't win a fight like that." Jordan sight trying to dissuade him.

"Bull if I can't!" Guy continues as the other two lanterns just shake their heads behind Guy's back.

"Let him try." Raven says from the other side of the barrier.

"See?!" Guy continues to shout.

"Whatever, it will be your headache… again." Jordan sighs as he lets down the barrier and takes Guy's ring.

"How many hits?" Wally whispers to Shayera.

"One." The woman replies flatly as her arms are crossed over her chest as Guy jumps up and down on the spot warming up while Raven remains motionless.

"Ready for a proper ass whopping?" Guy asks as he throws a few punches into the air in front of him like a boxer.

"Are you going to try or are you just going to pretend?" Raven asks dryly.

"Right!" Guy snaps loudly before charging forwards with a raised right fist, as he comes within distance, Raven raises her own left arm to block the fist while her own right hand darts forwards, shoving her extended fingers into Guy's solar plexus and upwards before his charge is stopped by her shoulder. Batman Robin and the old Titans have a second to see Guys pained expression over Raven's shoulder, before she quickly steps back to watch him collapse on the ground, gag three times before vomiting onto the ground. "Jezus Christ…" He heaves after he is done.

"Nice hit." Nightwing whispers. "Very little strength needed."

"That was the idea." Raven replies quietly.

"Any chance you can teach that?" Linda asks.

"Perhaps a self-defense course would be in order in the near future?" J'onn suggests.

"Sounds like a good idea, Batman do you feel up to that?" Superman asks as Jordan walks over to Guy who has rolled onto his back.

"I can show you a few moves." Batman replies wondering why he didn't suggest that.

"And I will volunteer Guy here for sparring." Jordan says as he lifts Guy over his shoulders, getting a pained groan out of him. "Come on buddy, I'm sure Sinestro will be eager to tell you how this could have gone."

"Yeah, take care poozer's, we better get back. Good ta see ya ok John." Kilowog adds before taking to the sky.

"Poozers?" Lois asks.

"His name for every friendly he meets." Katma says with a smirk. "Hopefully the next we hear from you will be something more uplifting." She says before taking off as well.

"Sorry about the mess Batman, give Kyle my regards when you see him." Jordan says as well before taking off as well.

"Pity we couldn't go the night without a fight." Shayera sighs.

"You haven't been in one." Diana mentions. "So what now?"

"Evening coffee." Batman says. "Took the night off remember?"

"Uh Bats?" Tim says drawing the man's attention to the boy who points to the city where a cloud is passing over, displaying a familiar symbol.

"Unless it's something major, I expect you three back in three hours." Batman says before pulling his cowl back. "The rest of you, we have things to talk about." He says before herding them all inside, leaving Robin, Nightwing and Batgirl behind.

"Did we just get ordered into the city without Bat's?" Robin asks.

"Well, we have one bat and that will have to do." Nightwing replies. "So can you get us there in a jiffy?"

"Nope, I got rules to follow, and I hope you have extra helmets." Batgirl replies.

"Ah, well, let's hustle!" Nightwing shouts as they run towards the Cave's garden entrance; an old derelict well.

"And off they go." Superman says as he and Bruce watches the trio disappear from their view. "You sure you shouldn't be there to introduce her?"

"Positive. Nightwing and Robin will be more than enough; the symbol is all she needs." Bruce replies as he turns away. "So who wants to play 'Riddle me this?'" He asks as he regards the others behind him.

* * *

**Authors Note: **Don't hang up yet readers, I still have a trick up my sleeve :)


	38. First Flight

_Downtown Gotham:_

"Hmm, he's running late tonight." Commissioner James Gordon notes as he looks into the sky at the bat signal pointed at the sparse clouds.

"Want me to turn it off sir?" The officer behind him asks.

"No, not yet Montoya, could be anything with him." He replies, falling silent for a moment. "Noticed any changes in him recently?"

"Batman? Not really. Just a small thing that he somehow seems, I don't know, younger?" Montoya replies as she leans against the projector.

"Same occurred to me. Reminds me of that crime wave a few years ago where we pretty much only saw Robin, when Batman finally showed up, I don't know, but he smiled for some reason." Jim continues as he leans on the railing of the building and looks out over the city falling silent again before seemingly noticing something. "He's standing behind you Montoya." He says without turning.

"Sir?...WOW!" Montoya yelps and jumps forwards to get some distance between herself and the figure she finds right behind her as well as drawing her weapon.

"He does that, you'll get used to it eventually." Jim says without turning.

"Sir, that's not him." Renee says, getting the man to first look over his shoulder before turning around to also see the caped individual standing by the projector.

"Hmm, wears a bat." Jim shrugs at the mark on the chest. "So who are you?"

"I am afraid you won't get much communication out of her, she's a mute." A voice says from above the two officers, that looks up to spot Nightwing and Robin standing on top of the stair access. "So what's the trouble Commissioner?" He asks as he jumps down.

"Locked room murder I'm afraid." Jim tosses a brown envelope to Nightwing, knowing that if they were here now, then Batman was undoubtedly busy elsewhere. "We haven't found a single trace of the weapon or where the shot came from." He continues, obviously making a point at not looking at Batgirl as the two joins them to look over the files in the envelope while Batgirl resigns herself to scanning the roof tops, Nightwing has said it would take a little time to earn James' approval, but that he would be the hardest to convince of the people that will be working with her on an actual friendly basis.

"Hmm, possible sniper?" Nightwing asks, the victim was found shot. But he does note however that it wasn't the cream of Gotham's finest that had been at the crime scene, too much was left unnoticed, it somehow felt manufactured.

Batgirl however feels uneasy, something is just not right, she can feel it from Nightwing, but there is something else she is picking up from somewhere else. Police HQ is a freestanding building, taking up an entire city block's worth of space, with intersections at each corner, with the Bat-signal standing in one corner. It is as she scans the roofs of the buildings opposite the station that she sees it, across the intersection, a figure moves quickly before stopping at the corner of the roof. Batgirl sees a flash of something from the figure, instinctively she leaps into the group next to her, tackling them all to the ground as the sound of a weapon discharge is heard.

"Hey?!" Robin cries at the sudden treatment.

"What the…?!" Montoya adds.

All complaints at silenced however the instant a high powered bullet cut through the air and scatters the Bat-signal getting a slight hiss out of someone. Before the group realizes it, Batgirl is back up and has fired her grappling hook across the street and is letting it pull her towards the shooter's location, aided by her own powers as she isn't used to this way of travel.

"Set up… is everyone's all right?" Jim asks as they get up.

"Fine Chief." Montoya replies as she gets up as well with Nightwing and Robin.

"This was set up." Robin notes as well as he pulls out his own grappling hook along with Nightwing before they follow after Batgirl who has disappeared on the other roof, leaving the two officers behind who quickly get inside in case there were more and to head after the vigilantes.

She is on to him, and he obviously knows it. It's a big man in night-camo pants and an old green army jacket, but despite his size and the amount of noise he makes with his big boots, he is fast, she admits, while they speed across the rooftops. Leaping over alleys as they cross them and both stumbling across the loose tiles of a roof, it's here she catches a look at the weapon he carries, a rifle, it's big and heavy by the looks of it. She doesn't know if the others are after her, but she can't worry if they aren't. Especially not as the bruiser makes an almost inhuman leap across a wide street, she follows by an uneasy glide with her cape before rolling and continuing the pursuit. They race over several more roofs with her slowly gaining on him before he crashes through a sky view, apparently unconcerned with the glass, she follows a second after, landing in a pool of light in an otherwise dark room, but she can sense it is crowded.

"You should not have followed." A heavy Russian accented voice says from the darkness, giving away his position. "Take her." She is oddly reminded of Richards sour reply on the night it was announced she was going undercover; _"Demons and dragons don't sneak up behind you with a lead pipe."_ As she dodges as a thug rushes her from behind with a wrench, she stops thinking and just moves as the others rush in.

"She went down here." Nightwing says as he and Robin cross the final road, with him swinging across it while Robin glides on his cape, he had seen a cape jump down from somewhere around here. Already they can hear sirens in the background and he wonders if and how they already know where to go.

"That skylight." Robin says as they races over, he feels a hand on his shoulder before he can jump down, his protest quickly dies on his lips when he sees Nightwing's expression before turning back to the spectacle of the lone woman punching, kicking, dodging and parrying the blows of the some twenty men trying to get to her armed with clubs, chains and knives. "Shouldn't we?"

"No wait, let's see how she handles it." Nightwing whispers.

"You really need to ask her out for a dance." Robin whispers with some amusement in his voice before remembering her acute hearing as she puts down her assailants one by one, delivering strikes to pressure points while already using her cape as both a shield and means of distraction. While Nightwing does notice she is trying to hide her strength and targets weak spots, that aren't always on target. She also appears to remember her hearing as she quickly leaps aside as boom tears through the room and the last thug's head explodes into gory fragments behind her. Robin doesn't ask before he jumps down as they hear the weapon being reloaded, Nightwing follows a second after. As they land they hear a brief struggle before the weapon is discharged again, this time silencing all sounds.

They quickly pick out their flashlights, finding perhaps twenty-five or so men lying on the ground, some out cold, others moaning in pain and a single one staring off into space as the blood from his dead comrade drips off his face. Swinging their lights around, they find Batgirl cornering a huge man by aiming a massive rifle at his head while a hole right above his head is evident of where the last discharge went.

What strikes Richard odd about it, is how easily she is holding the M82 and how worried the man looks while he is staring down the weapon barrel with his one free eye. That's the other thing Nightwing finds odd is that the man is half covered in a silver plated armor on his left, even covering half his head with a large red disk covering the area where his eye was supposed to be, looking closely, Richard can see the armor also covers his gloved left fist. He knows already who the man is, and that they would need to stress it to Raven that simply yanking a weapon from him wasn't really possible unless she knew how to work his nervous system, because the cybernetic enhancements he has makes him far too strong to do it otherwise for a normal person, and they had tried.

Batgirl doesn't look at them, but lowers the weapon a second before they hear the many feet coming up wooden stairs, putting the weapon down on the feet folded up under the barrel, aiming the weapon at the man's right knee. As she turns and backs over to the others, the door to the room is kicked in by a large man in a gray-blue trench coat and hat.

"Freeze!" He shouts and points his pistol at the trio and swings it to cover the man at the wall while several officers pile in behind him, including Gordon and Montoya all carrying pistols. "Nobody move!" Batgirl has turned to see him enter, but when she turns back, she finds Robin and Nightwing gone, leaving her the sole figure in the middle of the room. "You too girly!"

"Easy Bullock, she's the one that spotted the shooter." Gordon says as he holsters his weapon, and regards the other man at the wall as he is being taken into custody. "KGBeast, small world."

"You'd be surprised, Commissar." The man replies as Bullock looks at him.

"Great, just what this city needs, commie terrorists and bat-freaks running around." Bullock sighs. "All right lets get these smocks down to the station." He says over his shoulder to the other officers. "You too miss… huh?" While he wasn't looking Batgirl had vanished.

_The Batcave, a little while later:_

"And so you also got to meet the ever charming Harvey Bullock." Richard says as they down on the infirmary platform, safe in the knowledge that it would be revealed that KGBeast was the shooter and that several officers had been bribed to make it look like a closed room case to lure them out.

After they met up again, Raven had informed them of her own need of medical attention, as the bullet that shattered the Bat-signal had torn open the back of her costume and ruptured the skin underneath and she needed it looked over before she could close it. Right now she and Richard are alone, with Tim having headed up to inform the others, with her lying on her stomach while Richard treats the wounded streak with a disinfectant.

"Ow." Raven winces as he applies the solution. "Charming, not one of the fans I take it?"

"In his own way, he just keeps up the façade believing it will keep us honest. And why are you complaining, the shot would have hurt more?"

"Had something else to think of so I ignored it then. Thank you by the way, for the thing with Guy." She replies.

"No problem. So did you mean it?"

"Mean what?" She replies.

"That you would wouldn't be interested?" Richard asks while counting the scars on her bare back.

"In him? Of course I wouldn't, he seemed to be an arrogant, self-centered oaf." Raven replies flatly.

"So it was just him?"

"Nope, there are lots of people I wouldn't be caught dead with." Raven replies, wondering where he was heading with all this. In her head one of her emotions is already making up a list of things it could be. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Richard replies as he continues a little more gently.

"Ow. Why did you kiss me back in Jump City?" Richard seems to think for several seconds before replying.

"I had seen what had happened to Bruce and the others and I had found you lying in an alley, I refused to let you go and then when you woke back up, I was just relieved that you did, I am not sure what I would have done if you had been lost as well that night."

"Did you mean anything by it?" She asks after a moment of silence and wincing.

"Actually, I did, but I don't know how to say it without making it sound stupid." He replies as he stops his work, seeing his hands were beginning to shake nervously.

"Be direct?" Raven suggests as she turns around to face him, still covered on her front by her costume, her purple eyes meeting with his blue.

"I…"

"Ah I see Master Richard is learning the tool of the trade?" The two youngsters are caught off guard by the elderly mans sudden appearance and Richard completely looses the words he wanted to say.

"Erm, yeah, Alfred, but my hands have begun shaking, could you finish up?" Richards asks sheepishly before retreating, leaving a miffed Raven behind.

"Did I interrupt something?" Alfred asks, a little surprised at the reaction as well.

"I'm not sure." Raven manages before lying down again. "But I hope my back doesn't look too bad?"

"On the contrary, it looks like the surface of the moon." Alfred replies as he put on a pair of surgical gloves.

"Funny." Raven replies, slightly amused. "So is the party still on?"

"Oh yes, though some are beginning to question Master Bruce's sanity, but he did want me to ask if the uniform is the right size, as it is technically a prototype and we haven't had exact measures."

"Isn't it just a piece of cloth?" Raven asks as Alfred begins examining the injury.

"Well not entirely, but I expect Master Bruce will tell you about all the technicalities tomorrow. Oh and when we are done, you have to file a report on the incident." He gets a groan out of Raven at this mention.

"Must have been a Golden Age when you could go out and stop crime then not have to do paperwork afterwards."

"In that case, this will be a Paper Age." Raven takes on another smirk at the old man's remark before wincing again.

"Why there you are Sister." Diana greets as Raven enters the large living room, having changed into her black training set.

"After filling out all the paragraphs and with a sore back no less." Raven replies as she drops down next to Diana in one of the four couches.

"So anything interesting happen out there?" John asks with his arms lying on the back of the couch with Shayera on one side and Helena on the other.

"Tim has decided to remain vague and Rob stormed up to his room." Victor from the edge of what can be called the young couch, since he, Tim, Garfield and Starfire are the occupants.

"Setup we think, someone set up a locked room murder had us all crowd around Police HQ before some guy called KGBeast decided to try and kill either one of us or the commissioner, using an anti-material rifle."

"Is… is he all right? The commissioner, I mean?" Barbara asks emitting a little fear.

"He's fine, will need a new signal though." Raven replies, wondering why Barbara was so worried before it dawns on her. "He's your father?"

"I… yeah he is."

"The name gave it away, don't worry, he's fine." Raven replies.

"Phew, means I only have to expect a phone call from him shortly." Barbara sighs in relief, knowing her dad also used these calls to calm himself down. "Ah nut's, if he saw you, means I have to start explaining."

"He knows?" Raven asks in surprise.

"About me, he strongly suspects it, but he's not interested in hearing or seeing anything more, in case he ever has to explain anything to his superiors."

"Jim is a smart man anyway." Bruce adds as a beeping sound is heard from Barbara. "That would be him."

"That it is." Barbara says as she answers her cell phone. "Hey dad, yeah great party. Has someone been shooting at you again?... Just a lucky guess… Really? Yeah I know about her… A mute you say?" The room seems to look in a little surprise at Raven who remains stoic. "How many?... Ok and how did she stop him?... A bullet fired at point blank range over his head? Well I guess that would get him to stop. So any idea who sent him? Ah, well Roman never gets wiser it seems… What? No of course he asked first and yes I know who it is. So another one for the piles down at your office. Anyways, thanks for calling dad, good to hear from you." Barbara says as she hangs up. "So, you're a mute all of a sudden?"

"Thought it would be best in case someone recognized my voice." Raven replies, well aware that her voice is distinct enough to be recognized even to a casual listener and that she might slip one day if she used magic.

"So was this something Black Mask cooked up?" Bruce asks.

"Yeah, one of his thugs rang just after the shot fell to bully my dad's immediate successor, they traced the call from there. KG was quick to explain it all for a favor, he was to take out my dad in the presence of one or more Bats so they would get blamed then lead any extra Bats away into an ambush. The idea was to knock them out and carry them off." Barbara explains. "Used the big rifle so there wouldn't be much of a bullet left to analyze."

"Seems prison doesn't evem stop him." Cyborg adds while Starfire has lent her ear to Beastboy who is explaining who they are talking about.

"Not in Gotham." Tim sighs. "So anything interesting happen while we were out?" He asks the company.

"Only Bruce trying to twist our minds inside out with his riddles." Shayera mentions.

"And that all former Teen Titan's and other young heroes are to report on the satellite in a week or so, if they think they have what it takes to be in the League." Wally adds. "We aren't going to try them to the degree Raven was, but there will be tryouts."

"I think we should add Kyle and Donna to the list." John says, getting a questioning look from Diana. "They have the training and they are good, but I suggest we begin handing our recruitment a little more professional than we had in the past and this way it will seem fair to everyone."

"So what kinds of tests are we talking about?" Cyborg asks.

"We have not worked out the specifics, but adequate tests will have to be mandatory." J'onn says.

"So is he included?" Raven asks thumbing Tim.

"No, he is too young." Tim almost immediately takes on a hurt expression. "When you get older."

"But how long?" He asks.

"In a year you will be Richards's age when he left Gotham." Bruce says.

"And what of those who do not pass?" Starfire asks, the elder heroes look from one another telling them they had not discussed that part.

"For whatever reasons, they will have to be better the next time we offer them the opportunity." Shayera shrugs, Raven seems to think for several moments before getting up.

"Guy's, a word in private?" The other Titans quickly follow her out of the room and up to Richards, hearing heavy music from the other side before Raven bangs on the door. "Richard, a word?!" She shouts, the music dies a second later and the door is opened revealing Richard in a white T-shirt and black sweatpants.

"What's up?" He asks before they are all engulfed in Raven soul-self and finds themselves on a floating rock in a white sky. "Erm?"

"This is Azerath, or rather; what's left of it." Raven says shortly and motions at the ruins. "The League is thinking about bringing in all former Titans and young heroes into the League, but there will be tryouts."

"That's great." Is Richard's first reply. "Isn't it?" He asks as he notices their serious expressions.

"As Star pointed out, there isn't a fallback plan in case someone doesn't make it through." Beastboy adds.

"So far, they seem content with letting them work themselves up to snuff till the next time the League is looking for new manpower." Cyborg continues. "I think I know what Rae is suggesting?" Raven lets on a slight smirk at this.

"Well let's hear it Rae, and fast, this place is freezing." Richards says as he shudders.

"I was thinking that people fighting crime and such alone will rarely break from the routines and methods not really learn anything new. I am thinking about creating a single new team of Titans so that these people can train and be better. Whenever we noticed it or not, I think we learned quite a lot by living and fighting together." Raven explains, to Richards slightly widening eyes.

"It's a good idea Rae, but what about team dynamics? Leaders and trainers? Funding and so on?" He asks.

"We will have to see if it will become necessary and who they are." Raven agrees. "But we," She motions with a hand at them all. "could step in from time to time to see how they are doing, assuming we all pass."

"By 'we' you mean us." Cyborg adds. "But yeah, we could do that, and we might even need it as well if we don't get through."

"So who would be the field leader?" Richard asks.

"I have someone in mind, but we will have to see if this even becomes necessary." Raven says.

"Ok, it's a good idea Rae, it's certainly something I am willing to support. But let's keep this between us till we know more." Richard says as he notices her breath beginning to fog. "Can we get back now?"

"Sure, but now you have seen where I once lived." Raven adds before sending them all back to the living room, much to the surprise of the others, but she remains behind after a request. "Yes Hemon?"

"_Raven, it is with both pride and sorrow I say this."_ The old man says. _"You have grown into an adult now and one we think will go on to do great things in the world we forsook, but it is now time and we must part with you."_ Raven is silent for a few seconds before it sinks in. _"You have taken responsibility for your life, and you no longer need our aid or presence."_

"But…" Raven starts.

"_No child, we cannot stay sheltered in your mind forever. We all knew this once we took shelter within you, that one day we would have to leave again. Know that we do not do this because of your way of life, but because we know where we belong. Which is here, in Azerath."_

"But there is nothing left here, you will be trapped again." Raven says in near panic at the thought of Azerath leaving her, they had been there for so long now that she thought they'd always be with her.

"_Be at ease, my child, and listen to Hemons words."_ Arella says.

"But if you leave here, you cannot move on to the place you all surely deserve to go to." Raven argues. "To be with Azar and those that came before her."

"_But we are not leaving entirely Raven, only your head. Azarath will be rebuilt here, in spirit, into a truly spiritual place and you can come visit if you are want for advice and talk."_ Hemon continues. _"You can even bring J'onn if you want to."_

"I…" Raven starts before taking a deep breath to calm herself, while her eyes water. "Ok, I understand that I will be completely alone in my head for the first time in years and that you will be here. I…If I haven't said it before, I want to thank you all for the peace you have all helped me obtain, for allowing me to live when all others would have seen me dead, for your teachings though I would be a liar to say that I follow them, they are still worthy ideals that I cannot live by, not in a world that hurts so much."

"_We know my child and we wish you all the happiness and joy in your life as we can. Now we must leave, be well till your first return." _Arella says as Raven feels a chill run down her spine as they depart, leaving Azerath an empty city in her head. She smiles as she dries her eyes before returning to Wayne Manor as well, while the spirits watch her depart.

"Now I know why Manhunter reacted like she did." Helena says as she coughs into her coffee at the sudden arrivals. "Where were you?"

"Titan discussion." Richard says without elaborating, since the League appeared to have conversations without them, so could they. "So what's up now?" He says as Raven appears as well.

"Not much, I was thinking about calling it a night." Clark says. "It's getting late."

"It is." Lois says while consulting her watch.

"Yeah, but I guess for the all-nighter, there still a few hours till he sleeps." Wally adds before yawning. "And we did promise to drive from Central to Gotham."

"That we did." Linda agrees. "But it has been a wonderful night Bruce."

"Full of surprises." Helena adds as she and the others begin to rise and say their farewells.

"You're not heading back to the embassy?" Bruce asks as Diana is the last left with the Titan's that had been offered to sleep over.

"Only if you are throwing me out." The Amazon replies with a smirk.

"Of course not, I was actually hoping to talk to you under four eyes." Bruce replies, before leading her off to the gardens.

"Any idea what that is about?" Beastboy asks.

"Yup and don't bother them." Raven replies. "I need to go meditate, got a little excess emotion that needs to be calmed down."

"So any of you wanna watch a movie?" Tim suggests.

"That sounds most joyous!" Starfire exclaims, it's the last Raven hears before moving out of hearing range of them.

Around an hour later, Raven meditation is interrupted by waves of emotions, they aren't unpleasant, but she doesn't want to know they are there. Nodding to herself, she teleports down to the cave and gets dressed before teleporting into the city.

"Damn Rae, have you slept at all?" Cyborg asks as Raven emerges bleary eyed in the morning light on the balcony.

"Only got an hour, decided to see what the rest of the city was like." Raven says, noticing Diana is absent. "Got the jump on two burglars, a car thief and three muggers that thought a group of kids were decent targets."

"How'd you get out of the cave?" Bruce asks, Raven could feel an abnormal amount of happiness in the man and a little exhaustion.

"Teleported, I have no idea how to drive anything, yet." Raven admits. "I would try and get a license after I got the car built." She adds to Cyborg before he can ask.

"Hmm, that's something we have to work on, along with a great many other things." Richard knows from that tone that Raven will have bricked herself up for the day for violating one of Bruce's rules. "Anyways, you Titans might want to have a look at this." Bruce continues as he pulls up a large pile of papers and spreads them around.

"Whoa neat, we made the front page." Garfield exclaims as his first paper, showing the Titans engaging Blackfire and her guards on the photo. "Titans reform!"

"Invasion of Jump City!" Richard reads from his paper.

"Justice League and Titans halt rogue Tamaranian." Starfire reads.

"Raven Revealed?" Raven reads the top line from her paper; the Jump City Herald. The photo on the page is of her in the midst of Blackfire's guards. "Saves small boy from falling masonry."

Quickly reading through the papers they find that the reformation of the Titans is mentioned at one point or another in all of them as is Raven's appearance and transformation.

"Well could be worse." Raven shrugs. "They aren't writing that the boy has been possessed or something. Hmm thinking about yesterday, should I go talk to Harold Turner?" She asks the other Titans.

"Guy has been respectfully waiting for the chance for years, I think you should." Richard says.

"You can go this afternoon, if you phone ahead." Bruce adds. "But you have to get some sleep first, and there are a few things we need to go over before you leave."

"Ok, I will have breakfast then go sleep. You guys sticking around?" She asks the three others.

"Na, I have to get back to Metropolis, exam results should be up by now. For some reason they don't post them electronically." Cyborg sighs. "And I still have to clean out my fridge from the tofu infection, that's still there!" He growls the last part while looking at Beastboy who just shrinks in his seat.

"He he, sorry." He says before righting himself as Victor leans back. "Me and Star have to head over to see how Mento is handling it."

"Isn't he still in Switzerland?" Richard asks.

"Yeah. Say, any chance we can borrow the teleporters?"

"It's not a travel agency." Bruce grumbles before sipping his coffee. "And you can fly." He points out.

"True, but it's not instantaneous." Bruce looks out from behind his paper. "But you're right, the exercise is good." Beastboy adds, knowing he couldn't hope to push the joke any further.

"So how has Geo-Force been behaving since the anvil dropped?" Richard asks.

"Officially resigned last night, claims everything in the files on Terra are fabricated but he can't take her back to Markovia without letting the world know about her ancestry." Bruce replies from behind his paper, Richard can almost see the smirking behind it. "Only proven family members can move Arkham patients." He adds without looking at the finger Garfield raises in question.

"So what took him so long to respond?" Richard continues.

"He didn't bother elaborating, only said that he was king and didn't need to justify his actions to us 'peasants'." Bruce replies, letting it go unsaid that Brion knew that if had sprung his half-sister, his family secret could suddenly become widely known, which he couldn't afford.

"And he seemed like a nice guy when we met him." Beastboy sighs.

"Not all heads are benevolent once crowned, we have seen this before." Starfire sighs thinking of her sister.

"Unfortunately." Raven agrees. "What was going to happen to Blackfire when they got back?" Starfire smiles slightly at the reminder, obviously satisfied at what she had been told.

"Galfore assured me he would work to restore Tamaran to the way it was and those whom we captured in Jump will be helping to make it so, since they will be tasked with tearing down what they had built. Oh and those found guilty of this treason will be stripped of their natural powers before being set to work."

"Uhh, bet Blackfire will not be happy about that." Victor says knowing Blackfire well enough to know how she'd react to becoming less than those around her. "But then what happens to them when they are done? If they get that far?"

"I am not sure, possibly they will be exiled." Starfire admits. "But I hope not, since it leaves the option for her return."

"And we could hope the experience mellows her." Richard says. "A thin hope, but hope."

"I fear Blackfire's bitterness will only grow and that she will one day return." Kori sighs.

"Then you have to beat her back." Garfield says.

"And you will." Raven agrees as she finished her breakfast. "Well I will head off to bed, take care guys and good luck if I don't see you on the satellite."

"G'night BG." Cyborg waves as she gets up. "Well, we better get going as well. Thanks for the breakfast."

And with that the three other Titans say their farewells and leave Dick, Bruce and Tim behind.

"So why is Diana still sleeping?" Tim asks as they retreat.

"She's tired." Bruce replies without looking up.

"You aren't old enough to know why." Richard continues smiling confidently, while getting a frosty glare from Bruce. "So what are you planning, regarding Rae when she wakes up?"

"I need to pinpoint her abilities in certain fields, while we know she can fight, we also need to know her abilities in other areas. Criminology, chemistry, escapology, and expertise with technology, reaction patterns and the other bits I put you two through. Also I need to know how her educational standards are in comparison to yours, I know from you she studied on Azerath as part of her upbringing, but not what and how much of it is useful here."

"Hmm, from the people that raised her, I would guess it would be a theological direction, but she can read and write obviously, and at least math skills to run the Tower on her own." Richard says after a moments thought, back in Jump he honestly didn't consider it important to know what she had studied, he just assumed she had something that roughly equaled his own education. "Didn't you read all of this while inside her head?"

"I read a summery, but I have to see it." Bruce says. "Also, she will need to learn how to operate the vehicles soon. That's going to be your job." He says to Richard, who looks a bit surprised at this. "I read how she views your motorcycle handling and she will have to get over it." Richard just chuckles at this reminded of the time he suggested she rode with him back to the Tower after a particularly gruelling fight.

"_I am not getting on a two wheeled death contraption driven by an adrenaline fuelled monster."_ He had smiled back then and he smiles now, reminded how he had to ask her to ease up the hug she had given him last night.

* * *

**Authors Notes: **So a New Teen Titans? :)


	39. Meeting Mr Turner

After almost six hours of sleep, Raven wakes up with a note on her table from Diana, saying that she would wish her luck with the training and that both she and Bruce appreciated her choice to leave the house last night. And that Diana had returned to the embassy, with her clothes, to ease Ferdinand. Raven smiles after reading this, after a short lunch and a phone call to Jump City she heads down to the cave, dressed in her training outfit.

"Good you are here." Bruce says, also dressed in his training outfit sitting at the computer. "When are you meeting him?"

"In four hours." Raven replies as she stops. "So what is up first?"

"Testing, I need to know precisely what your capabilities are in a number of fields. Some of these tests may prove humiliating to you, and some may seem like outright torture, but I want you to know what you are getting into." He just gets a short nod without hesitation. "But first you need a proper introduction to the suit." He says as he gets up, motioning for her to follow him inside the wardrobe where the suits are deposited when not in use, stopping at hers. "Alfred should have mentioned this is a prototype. The cowl is hardened Kevlar with padding underneath, it won't stop a bullet at close range, but it will protect you against clubs. Built into it is a communicator, but if you have decided to remain mute when out, we can remove it and save weight?"

"Leave it, in case something major happens; besides I guess you have some non-verbal way of communication?"

"That we do. Also the cowl has a special scanner installed." Bruce says as he takes the mask from the rack and hands it to her for her to put on. "The scanner is activated by pressing the area over your left ear, the communicator over the right. Remember, whatever you say into the communicator will be stored here in case no one replies." He says while she tries pressing her right ear, getting a little static as she holds it down, she jumps slightly in surprise when she pressed her left as numerous bits of information about her surroundings and a green night vision filter appears over her eyes. "You need to press it again to turn it off, everything you see with it on is relayed back here as well and any information you see is sent back to you, like faces, warrants and that as long as the connection remains."

"Your own doesn't have this?" Raven asks.

"Not yet, I was going to install it when you showed up and so far I am not sure how resilient the system is to blunt strikes." Bruce admits while she takes the mask off again. "Now as you have noticed, the rest of the suit is light, but it does have padding over the most crucial areas, the rest is left out due to weight issues, I am sure you can carry the extra padding if you want it?"

"I'd rather rely on myself than on something that might fail if you start depending on it. Something I can't blame someone else for at least." Bruce nods at this.

"The wrist guards and scallops are reinforced so they can take a regular sword blow if needed also you can use them break or disarm your opponent, they aren't knives, but keep them away from eyes and throats. Inside the right index finger is a lock picking tool that I guess you aren't familiar with?" She shakes her head at this, but she did know Richard used to have one in his old gloves. "There is also one in the right boot in a compartment on the inside." He says, showing her the concealed compartment that she should be able to reach without take the boot off. "Other than that, the boot has an armored toe, so I would suggest you don't change while wearing them, unless your feet can take it."

"Hopefully I won't ever have to." She says. "But I will remember it."

"Good. The cape is the most resilient part of the suit, tear resistant, almost bullet proof, insulated against heat and cold. Now the last part is the utility belt, it contains every tool you can be expected to use regularly and you will need to know where everything is even if blind." He says before proceeding to pick out the various pieces starting from the front and moving to the back where there is an empty compartment. "Gas mask, we will have to mold one for you, has a limited air filter on its own, good for 30minutes, doubles as a diving mask when attached to the…?"

"The gill-box in the 4th compartment from the right." Raven replies as she pulls out the small green box and the hoses needed.

"Yes, and that concludes the suit." Bruce says. "Now, I want you to see the schedule I have made for you." He says as she follows him out to the computer where he brings the sheet up. "It is likely to change depending on your performance."

"So if I do bad in one area, there will be more of it."

"In favor of the area's you excel in." He continues. "Richard's and Tim's looked different with more emphasis on combat training, but you have proven that you can do that without showing your true strength, from the file you made last night and from the police rapport."

"Various education?" Raven asks at the subject.

"As far as any of us know, you studied on Azarath, but not exactly what." Bruce says as he turns towards her.

"Monastic mainly, I learned seven languages and how to read, calculate and write before Azar took over and my education became mystical. After I came to Earth I read that I would have been considered an intellectual around 500 years ago." Raven admits.

"Hmm, we will have to dig up some of Richards and Tim's old assignments for you. Also, since you will be living here, you will need to decide on an education, this is for show mostly because people will wonder what you do during the day and where you came from." Raven nods at this.

"And in case I one day retire." She adds.

"Unless you return to Themyscira that is." Burce notes. "Now, while I am sure Richard is quite happy to furnish and fund you, I am also sure you don't want him following you around every time you need something. So I have taken the liberty of setting up a small fund for you to spend at your leisure, the card will arrive in a few days. While I won't pry into what you use money on, I don't want to come home to carpenters coming out of your room without me knowing about it beforehand."

"My budged in the Tower was minimal as I remember it." She says, hoping Bruce wasn't thinking of dumping a huge pile of dollars on her.

"It was." Bruce agrees. "That's why it's the size it has." For some reason Raven finds that smirk he puts on, worrying.

"How much?" She asks dryly.

"It's set up so you are technically receiving a monthly wage of 100.00 dollars." Bruce says, intently watching her gasp in shock.

"I… I can't accept that… and for what?" She stammers while wondering how on Earth she could even spend that amount.

"Ours is a very dangerous occupation Raven, and I am so fortunate that my parents set me up like this, earning more money than anyone could ever hope to spend for the rest of my life on normal things. See it like this, this way you will never need to worry about mortgages, food or taxes, allowing you to focus on the important thing; saving lives. But don't think I am doing this to keep you here, that fund will go with you, even if you one day decide to leave Wayne Manor, the only catch is that as long as you are here I expect you to perform when in uniform and never back down while wearing it, if a hundred thugs want to rob a homeless bum, then you defend him against them, even if you should fail to, you will never back down. Am I clear?" He asks sternly.

"I will die for the homeless bum if needed." Raven replies as the flat tone in her voice returns.

"I expect you won't." Bruce says firmly. "Now, you need a proper tour of the cave and let me know how much of everything you know of."

They just manage the entire tour of the cave and its many sections in the left over time, including revealing the back cave that contained all the retired vehicles before Raven has to go change for her appointment with Harold. Since it wasn't a League related event, she had to transport herself after changing clothes.

Appearing over Jump city, she wonders briefly how she will be received by the people below, would they pretend she wasn't there, would she get crowded by people with questions or would she cause a stampede with people trying to get away from her. Landing on the side-walk just outside her destination, she has an answer provided, the morning pedestrians all stop in surprise at her landing and stares at her as she opens a portal to let Cerberus out, but they all part before her as they walk the rest of the way inside of Mario's Pizza Parlour, getting a few more surprised gasps from the few morning customers. She notes that one of the desk clerks quickly disappears into the back rooms and emerges a few seconds later with Mario in tow, who smiles and waves her over.

"Raven, welcome back to my humble shop, I had hoped last time wasn't going to prove a deterrent?" He asks with a knowing smile.

"Not at all, I hope the clean-up wasn't too much of a problem?" She replies, she likes Mario, he seemed to treat everyone equally and had not once acted differently towards her or the other Titans, which happened to them a few times, some thought they were a magnet for trouble, others thought they were free PR.

"Not at all, sadly they came back after a week." He sighs. "I know, I should have called the police for letting them harass my customers."

"But they are customers themselves." Raven nods, reading the older man's mindset. "Do you mind the dog if I take him upstairs?" She asks.

"Technically, he should have stayed outside." Mario says as he looks at the bulldog that regards him as well. "But what the heck, it's early morning and if the food inspectors show up I hope you will make him vanish."

"Don't worry, they will never know he was here." Raven replies confidently. "Think I better order a Raven Special, been hours since I had lunch."

"Ah, it will be on the house." Mario smiles before sending the order to the cook in the back room. "Same spot as last time?"

"Yeah, hopefully without punks this time." She replies. "Nice seeing you again Mario."

"You too Raven." The old man replies as she walks up to find her seat, finding an expected man waiting up there, sitting in a black pin striped suit with a brown trench coat over his shoulders and brown hat on his head. "Harold?" As he turns his head from looking at the morning traffic and looks over his sunglasses at her before taking them off and rises.

"Raven, good to see you again, thought I thought it was some prankster in my office that had made that call." He says as they shake hands before sitting down.

"But you came anyway; I must be the scoop of the day?"

"Ha, scoop of the last four years would be more accurate." He says while smiling broadly. "So what changed your mind about all of this?"

"Allowed myself to get cornered by Lois Lane, Linda Park-West and Clark Kent in a park, thought that since you should have your interview as well since you waited so long for it." The man just smirks at the mention.

"Figured it had to be Ms. Lane, she's a wolf when it comes to stories."

"So what do you want to know? Those four years can't have been spent on thinking about an interview?" Raven asks.

"Oh, I got tons, some very much outdated I think. But let's start at the beginning." He says as he gets out a Dictaphone and a pen and a pad of paper. "How did you take it when the other Titan's left?"

"At first I was shocked and disappointed, but it turned to worry when I saw Robin's announcement outside the Tower, Gary being the main one."

"Ever mention this to the others before they left?"

"Yes, Robin knew, but at the time, I couldn't see myself going anywhere like they did." She replies.

"So what was it like living out there?"

"Lonely, very quiet, but I found things to do so I never got bored. Of course, it didn't help I felt besieged." She replies.

"Hmm, I can understand that. So then the dragon came, there's still a lot of people who wonder about him."

"Malchior, as was his name. Was once a tyrannical ruler of a forgotten kingdom, who was toppled by a wizard called Rorek who imprisoned Malchior in a book. Rorek, I suspect rewrote this book into a tale of his exploits. Over the years of imprisonment, Malchior changed the writing of the book, namely by swapping names with Rorek, making him seem like the dragon. This book, by chance, ended up in my hands. I was reading it when I was at a moral low point when he suddenly spoke up, I was blinded by his words and he very much had me believe he felt something for me, eventually leading me to release him. He quickly discarded all feeling he claimed to have for me, after that I did the same to him before sending him back into his book."

"So his boasting wasn't just fabricated?" Harold asks.

"No, unfortunately not, but it was a one sided affair, sadly with him luring me to release him." Raven sighs.

"So the last fight, what did that end up with the results it had?"

"You mean why I killed him?" Raven asks, getting a nod. "After our initial encounter, I locked his book away in my room, but while we were abroad and expanding the Titans, someone broke into the Tower and stole it. We saw him again as a member of a large gathering of villains called the Brotherhood of Evil, before Herald, one of the honorary Titans, sent him to a different dimension. We went looking for him, but we couldn't find him."

"But he found you?" Harold notes.

"Slade, one of the few not in on the Brotherhood thing, wanted revenge on me for turning down his offer on becoming his lackey and for the things that happened with my father and sent Malchior after me, guessing the dragon would be sufficient since I didn't have the book anymore. I was out buying groceries when I saw the Tower detonate."

"And so you fought as we all know, but something happened to you?"

"Malchior was a powerful wizard in his own right, but like others, he didn't know that certain spells would affect me differently because I am a half breed. And yes, I am a half demon, Malchior wanted to torment me before killing me, so he cast a spell that reversed the way I looked. Where I used to appear human, but with a demon hiding under the surface, it was suddenly the other way around."

"So instead you were a human hiding under the guise of a demon." Harold finishes. "But you didn't have wings and horns back then?"

"A later development, but as you know, I vanished after killing Malchior, with the damage done and the Tower gone I couldn't stay. So I left in search of a way to reverse the spell."

"You sought out the League? I hear they have some powerful mages on the reserve sheet?"

"No, I couldn't. Before the Titans were formed I sought their aid in combating my father, a very powerful demon, but was chased off due to the bad vibrations the present mage was getting from me. So that limited the people I could go to, because I thought they were still after me. But I succeeded as you can see, with a little help."

"So what did you do then?" Harold continues.

"Took me half a year to do it, living in the wilds and of what I could. When I got it done, I sat down and thought about what to do with the rest of my life. Coming to the conclusion that I would continue as I had before, but I chose another city to do it in, but I can't tell you where."

"Jump City seemed hostile to you?" She nods at him. "And then out of nowhere you end up with the League and the Amazons, of all people?"

"Yeah, the guise I had chosen to operate under spooked a few of the wrong sort of people and the League came crashing down on me. Because of my heritage and powers, they couldn't decide if I was good or bad so they had me jump through hoops for them, after one of their number was revealed to be scared that I had shown up to supplant the individual. Now when I change into that other shape, my physical powers increase a lot, and Wonder Woman tried coaxing a truth from me with her lasso I had promised never to tell, much to their surprise I could resist it to a degree, but when she pressed too hard, something just clicked and I lost it. When I came to my senses, Wonder Woman was drifting off into on unconsciousness."

"You beat up Wonder Woman?" Harold asks with a raised eyebrow.

"She was caught off guard, I was restrained at the time and kept in a special cell that should have suppressed my powers, but yes, I did. But she didn't take ill to it, her mother did however."

"Uhu." Harold says, apparently not really believing it.

"You can always call the embassy for confirmation." Raven adds.

"Forgive me, but it just sounds a little weird, think most people down here on Earth consider Wonder Woman the most powerful woman in the world."

"I know, but it's true. Anyways, Wonder Woman was the first I had to spend time with. But let's just say things over there didn't go as planned, first by Wonder Woman's chosen test was sidelined by wishes of her mother the Queen and by the appearance of one of Wonder Woman's adversaries; Ares, who had seen fit to take an interest in me. After that encounter, I was sort of welcomed as one of them, but I was offered a place over there first after Wonder Woman got her chance for revenge in a fair fight and won."

"Well they are warriors from what I hear."

"That they are and they are not people you want to insult, because they will take it personally." Raven remarks with a slight smile.

"So are you on the same line as them?"

"Sometimes." Raven says giving him a smirk.

"Heh, ok. So is this a thing anyone could have done?" He asks. "Becoming an Amazon?"

"I am not sure, but how I did it, was not easy or pleasant, the gentlest way of explaining it without details would be to say there are shared bonds between us that others simply don't understand. Besides, Themyscira still has closed borders and I was only allowed over due to Wonder Woman and Queen Hippolyta's acceptance."

"Ok, so you became an Amazon and returned, how did the others take it?" He continues, though she can see it annoys him a little that she is being vague.

"At first they didn't know, we chose to keep it a secret so that the other's would form their own opinion without thinking about them possibly making Wonder Woman mad. But the general reaction has been shock and awe. So after I got back, I went through a number of trials with the others, including a trip into deep space before they give me the all clear."

"I heard from Beastboy, Cyborg and Starfire you were instrumental in retrieving Starfire from her home planet?"

"I wouldn't call it that, but I am the only other Titan that speaks Taramanese, but yes, during my deep space adventure with the Green Lantern I made certain arrangements to make sure we could get clear of Tamaran in one piece."

"And helped them out at one point?" He continues.

"My role was minor in my own opinion, but yes, I did help. After several weeks, we managed to restore the senses Starfire had been robbed off during her captivity. Shortly after that, the event's here in Jump City occurred with the President and all that."

"I hear you had a special role in that too?"

"I was underestimated as a 'regular' Amazon for some reason, meaning my better known powers was not taken into account and I managed to break out. I can't go into details, but what I did down there was not pretty."

"Heard a rumor you encountered Dr. Light again?"

"You heard correct and it was not a happy reunion." Raven replies flatly. "Anyways, after everyone was safe again. I was sent on a task to do something special for the League, meeting an aging wizard with a presumptuous nature along the way who decided to show me I wasn't enough of a monster and turned me into that shape I was seen in last time I was in Jump."

"Presumptuous?"

"He thought I'd feel better when I looked like that, but to me it really is like waking up to you wearing the face of your worst enemy. Again my powers seemingly increased, and it was needed for some of the stuff I had to do afterwards."

"We saw that confirmed, those Tamaranians were flying like rag dolls. So we arrive at today, so are you only with the League?"

"I am, when not called to other tasks."

"Ok, so now I got a few questions that may seem a little old. You have mentioned his nature, but who is your father?" Raven is quiet for a few moments as they notice a boy arriving with her pizza.

"It is a touchy subject and you wouldn't recognize the name, but he wasn't a nobody in mystical circles."

"You speak of him in past tense." Harold notes as he helps himself to a slice after a nod.

"No one remembers it besides the Titans and a few mages, because everyone else was turned to stone the day he came to this plane, through me. I was only born so that he could do that. With help I managed to beat him, and ultimately destroy him."

"Superman and the League didn't arrive?"

"They were most likely turned to stone as well if they were on the planet, my father was that powerful."

"Even Superman?" Harold asks, playing into the perception that Superman was functionally immortal.

"Even Superman, the Amazons noticed the event before they were turned as well, but can you remember what happened on August the15th five years ago?" Raven asks.

"Hmm, I remember that day as a strange one, I was writing an article for the noon edition when I suddenly realize it's four in the afternoon." He says after a few moments thought. "Was that it?"

"That was it, if you want to, I can show you how the world looked while you were out, but it will be as I saw it."

"Sure." Harold says, Raven gets up and puts her fingers on his temple, slowly feeding him her memories of the day. "Jeez, and the whole world was like that?" He asks after she is done.

"It was, the Titans were only spared the fate because I shielded them as a farewell present, I didn't think I would live past the summoning. You saw Slade as well, but he was in my father's employ but fell out of grace with him."

"Did you ever meet him again?"

"Slade? Once, through a robot communication where he wanted me to join him in taking over the 'ungrateful city' as he called it." Raven replies as she finger quotes to underline it.

"Well, that's all I got to the important stuff, but I got a few off shots." Harold says, looking at his list.

"Shoot." Raven shrugs, the talk with Sam had been a lot worse for her than this.

"Is there a connection between you and the 'Amazing voice girl' video circulating the internet these days?" She smirks at this.

"I wouldn't know, I have been told we share similarities but I haven't seen it."

"Ah, and the woman seen in the company of a Richard Wayne Grayson in Gotham?"

"Please, you should know my personality well enough to know that I wouldn't fall for a guy like that one." She says, this last part is turning into a lie feast on her part.

"Figured." Harold smirks. "Now going over the League sheet, I see you are in the company of Dr. Fate, Zatanna, another demon called Etrigan and a reputed angel called Zauriel, what's all that like?"

"Etrigan jumped me initially as he is really hostile towards demons from other realms than his own, Zauriel and I have yet to get to know each other properly, but he is suspicious of me. Dr. Fate is a decent man and I hope I can study magic with him later on. I had an initial conflict with Zatanna but I hope to be able to work with her later on."

"Ok, do you know where she is these days? It appears she's just sort of vanished?" Harold continues though Raven has a sneaking suspicion that he had figured it out.

"I know what she is doing, but I don't know where."

"Anything you can talk about."

"No, it's personal to her." Raven replies flatly as a commotion is heard from down below. "Here we go again." She sighs as she looks to the staircase as the motley crew that jumped her and Richard the last time appears, the girl with the broken nose still with bandages over her face, the group freezes instantly when they see her. "You again?" Raven growls before getting up.

"Holy shit, it's her." One of them whispers.

"Are you going to behave, or do I have to lose my temper?" Raven asks.

"I… eer… we were just leaving actually." The leader says, the others quickly nod in agreement before turning around and storms down the stairs.

"I will be right back." Raven says to Harold, feeling a commotion from down below.

"Take your time." The man wave as he takes another slice.

Arriving down at the room, Raven finds one girl crying behind the desk with a red area on the side of her cheek and Mario tries to comfort her while the serving boy looks in confusion from her and of the two. "What's going on?"

"That girl whose nose you broke?" The boy says. "She is collecting pay for her medical bill from us, third time now, Carina tried to stop her… but." He says looking at his colleague.

"Cerberus, we have work to do." Raven says before heading out of the shop with the dog storming after her.

"Phew, we got clear." The group leader says in a nearby alley to his crew. "Do you think she knows?" He asks the broken nosed girl.

"Too late for her to do anything about it." The girl spits, as the world goes dark around them.

"No it's not, and you lot are coming with me." Raven says as she appears at the deep end of the alley. "Last time was the only warning." She says as she changes shape, the group just pales visibly.

"There, there Carina. It's ok, you did the right thing." Mario says trying to comfort his employee. As the bell announces someone entering followed by a few gasps.

"Sorry for the disturbance, but this young woman has something to say." Raven says as Mario looks over his desk, seeing the transformed Raven standing with the girl with the broken nose on the other side.

"Mama Mia." Mario whispers before standing up, helping his employee to her feet as they notice the utterly terrified look on the girls face.

"And?" Raven growls to the girl, shaking her slightly with the grip she has in the back of the girl's jacket.

"I…I…am sorry…h-here…is… your money." The girl stammers, shaking while she places the stolen money on the counter.

"Good." Raven says as she turns the woman around, it is at this Mario and Carina notice that the girls feet are actually not touching the ground. "Now, I don't want to come back here and hear you doing this again, if I do, then I am going to come looking for you, got it?" Raven asks while boring holes in her with her eyes, getting a frightened squeak and a nod from the girl. "Good, now go sit in the pen till the cops show up." Raven continues as she puts the girl down and shoves her in the direction of the door. Quickly the girl gets out and joins her friends sitting around a lamppost where a big dog sits growling at the slightest movement. "Sorry to disturb your meals." Raven says before teleporting to the floor above, finding Harold watching the group from the railing, chewing on a slice.

"Well if they didn't get it the first time, they do now." He says. "Where did you get the dog?"

"Picked him up along the way, he is good company, but tends to break wind and snore. So did you have any more questions?"

"Only one, are you comfortable with what you are?"

"Absolutely not." Raven replies flatly. "Being born what I am may have brought many good things about, but I would not wish my life on anyone else."

"You'd rather be normal?" He asks a little surprised.

"Yes I would, look at me, I am a freak that stands out everywhere I go. But I know that if it had not been me, it would have been some other poor unfortunate, so I live with what I am, but I don't like being my own worst enemy."

"I can understand that." Harold says. "Well, thank you very much for the talk Raven; maybe if you help save the world again we can talk again?" He says as he picks up his items from the table.

"Well, you would have to find me to ask." Raven says with a smirk. "But it was nice."

"I can call the Themysciran embassy or the League." Harold says with a smirk of his own. "Oh one last thing, will the Titans reunite again?"

"Maybe." Raven replies getting another smile from the man before he says his goodbyes and leaves Raven to watch the group below till the police shows up.

* * *

**Next Chapter: **More testing.


	40. Lessons in Bat

"The punks showed up again?" Batman asks as Raven appears in the Cave with Cerberus, who heads up the stairs.

"Yeah. Listening in on the police radio's?" She asks, guessing he had tuned in in case something major happened. Part of her was figuring she had been added to some kind of tracking program in the Cave, meaning that if her name was mentioned or her image appeared anywhere, a message would show up here, Richard had politely pestered Cyborg to try and make a system like that years ago, but he had given up eventually.

"I was. Go change, you are having your first lesson in escapology." Raven just nods before heading into the wardrobe for a change. Emerging again a few moments later as she is pulling her gloves on as the last part. Following Batman down to the training cave. "Now, in our line of work, there is always a possibility we get caught while out there, sometimes we even have to let it happen. And that is why you will need to learn how to get out of these situations, without having to resort to special powers, enhanced strength or help from others to do it. But if it should happen before you have mastered this, I will allow you to use your powers in the field if you can get away with it without being seen, understood?" He gets a nod, she understand that this is a temporary exception.

"The most common item you can find yourself restrained with is rope." He says while picking out a bundle hanging on the far wall. "Durable, flexible, possibly extremely hard to get out of depending on who is trying the knots. We are going to start out easy, hold out your hands." Raven does a little slowly before he has her hold them next to each other so that her wrists connect and palms together before he loops the rope three times around them before tying a knot on the top. "This is usually the method preferred by those who don't have the time to do it more extensively. There are several ways out of it, of which I will mention two, one is by twisting your arms for a sufficient amount of time before the rope eventually becomes slack by being stretched, it will take a while and you will hurt yourself if you aren't careful. The other way, is to dislocate your thumb and slip your hand out. Now I have some work to do, come find me for the next one when you get out. Just remember, cheat and you will just have to do it again." He says before walking out if the cave.

"Erm, ok." Raven says to herself after he is gone, before setting to study the rope and the knot. "How to get out without just snapping it?" She asks out loud before looking more closely at the knot, a simple granny knot, it would do its job, but not much else. "Ah." She realizes before applying her canines to first loosen it before shaking it loose, pulling up her mask to allow it, smiling triumphantly as she pulls the rest free and walks up to Bruce who is browsing through a file.

"Teeth?" He gets a nod. "Good, teeth can be used to loosen most knots if you can get to them, but remember that in some cases the rope can be considered poisonous."

"And now the next one?" Raven asks.

"Yes, till Alfred has dinner ready. Hold them out." He says as she does again, and again he wraps it around her wrists, but this time trying the knot on the side facing away from her. "Same knot and tie, much more difficult." He says before turning back to the computer. "Just remember, this would be the same if it was the first knot and you were without the use of your jaw." He says over his shoulder as she walks away, figuring he would prefer her not to bother him.

Again she notes that he didn't wrap the rope between the scallops as she walks back to the cave, as she is about to enter the area between them seem to catch the light, enough for her to move over to a lamp to get a good look, realizing why; there is a very small raised area between the scallops that appears to have been sharpened, that would make cutting through any rope there easy.

However as the rope is not there and it takes her almost 10 minutes of twisting her arms around before she can finally slip out, the constant repetition leaves her arms and wrists sore, but she heads back to Bruce again. Who takes a look at the rope before discarding it.

"Hmm, took Tim longer to get out, but he is still growing." He notes. "I expect the next one will take you a good amount of time, but you get to choose, keep doing this or begin working on your lock picking?"

"I'll take lock picking….hey!" Before she has any chance of protest, Bruce had grabbed her hands and cuffed them together using handcuffs.

"Still have to get out of them." Bruce says with a smirk.

"And here I thought you we talking about a door." Raven sighs. "So how do I get the lock pick out?" She asks after a few moments of trying to get the tool out of its compartment in her finger.

"That would be in the manual somewhere in the wardrobe." Bruce continues without looking, Raven just huffs in mock annoyance before stomping inside said room.

_Later:_

"Master Bruce, I wish to inform you that dinner will be served in a matter of minutes." Alfred says from the top of the stairs.

"I'll be right up." Batman says from the computer without looking away, Alfred nods and retreats back up the stairs as Raven emerges from the training cave.

It had taken her three quarters of an hour to find the right manual, proving to be a single piece of paper where the instructions were drawn on, by hand, along with a little note at the bottom that the finger tool was meant for fixed locks or situations where one couldn't reach ones boots. This had Raven grumbling all the way down to the training cave where she managed to pick out the tool from the boot compartment and sat down. After almost an hour of trying, she is yet to be successful.

"Heard someone mention dinner time?" She asks as she walks up to the top platform.

"He did." Bruce confirms. "But you haven't freed yourself." He notes.

"This is a lot harder than I thought." Raven sighs in defeat. "Mind unlocking them?"

"Yes, you have to learn this. You'll get a meal when you get out." He says as he gets out of his seat and walks into the wardrobe, as Raven stares after him. "Staring after me won't open them." He mentions from the inside, he emerges in civilian a few moments later, with Raven still staring at him as he passes her without another word and heads up the stairs as Raven looks into the wardrobe. "My belt has a security system and I have the keys with me." Her head snaps back at the darkness of the stairs before hearing the dull bump of the door shutting.

"Rae not back from Jump yet?" Richard asks as Bruce takes up his seat with his two boys next to him.

"Three hours ago, she's practicing." Bruce replies offhandedly.

"What exactly?" Richard asks.

"Lock picking and escapology."

"Hope you didn't put her in the western cell, Tim broke the locks last time." Tim swallows his peas prematurely at this, he hadn't told anyone else about that.

"No, but don't bother her, you know how it went." Bruce warns; the two had in their early days a habit of sneaking up into the house when food became more important to them than getting out. And since Richards returned the two began helping each other out, much to Bruce's annoyance.

"Hope she knows what she got herself into?" Richard asks.

"She knows that she isn't leaving the cave while dressed up." Bruce replies. "And unless something serious happens, she isn't going into the city wearing a pair of handcuffs."

"Yours?" Tim asks at the admission.

"Yes." Bruce replies.

"You know those things are practically impossible to get out of as a beginner." Richard notes, it was of course the point, but even for Richard, Bruce and Tim it takes time to get out of them.

"I am also seeing how far I can push her before she snaps them." Bruce mentions.

"And the usual routine if she doesn't?" Tim asks.

"Of course, she will be let out in the morning, put back into it in the afternoon. Now I want a full briefing on how Gotham has been during my absence." Bruce says while eyeing the two.

Later that night, Raven is both annoyed and somewhat despairing when she sees the threesome enter the cave, change clothes and head out for the night without saying a word while she is still struggling with the restraints, part of her mind was beginning to tell her to just break the damn things, but Bravery's brood had formed an allegiance with Wisdom's in this matter, thwarting Rage and Sloth's efforts, so she keeps at it. At one point, where she felt her eyes were ready to pop out of their sockets from all the staring, she thinks she hears the others return, but she is not sure.

_The following morning:_

"So who wants to test if she still has that spell on her door?" Tim asks Richard and Bruce who are all in the hallway outside Raven's door.

"Hope she won't use it during the winter." Richard replies before grabbing the handle and opens the door, the three look inside and find only Cerberus staring at them, bleary eyed. "I would have thought she had gotten out of them by now."

"She has to learn it." Bruce shrugs, before walking away, followed by the boys.

Heading down into the cave, they find it suspiciously quiet, Richard scans the stalagmites while the others spread out, Tim into the wardrobe and Bruce down to the training cave.

"She's here." He says, spotting the black clad figure lying on her stomach with her face away from the entrance, she doesn't stir at the sound of his voice or when the others arrive. "Must have fallen asleep while working." He reasons before walking over to her. "Raven." He says as he kneels down and turns her over, to his surprise, finding one loop of the handcuffs hanging off her left wrist and the lock picking tool lying under her. Turning her over has makes her wake up.

"Wha…oh." She groans before sitting up, the others can't see it, but she is bleary eyed.

"Morning Rae, another rough night?" Richard asks with a smirk on his face, he could guess what had happened.

"Ugh. Couldn't get the damn things off before after you got back during the night." She says as Bruce helps her up, they can see she is stiff all over from lying on the matted floor.

"So why didn't you go back up? We got back around three?" Tim asks.

"Figured whatever it was you had for dinner, would be long cold. Don't know, Pride must have taken hold, but I decided I needed to get better at that, so I tried again. Think I fell over after the third." She says, getting a smirk out of Bruce.

"You get that off, then go get some food and rest." Bruce interrupts before Richard can add something else, pointing at the restraint hanging off her.

"Forgot about that." Raven mutters, before bending over looking for the lock-picking tool on the ground, before Bruce hands it to her, it's a testimony how tired she really is for Richard, back in the Tower she would never have been caught like this. "Thank you." Richard can almost see her squeezing one eye shut to begin again, aiming with her free hand.

"Bruce, you and Tim head on up, I will make sure she gets it off." Richard says, the two others just shrug before heading up.

"Don't worry, I had this last night." Raven says as the tool hits the keyhole and she begins twisting it around.

"I don't doubt that." Richard says. "But it wasn't necessary to do it again you know?"

"It was, it isn't supposed to take me hours to get out of them." She replies.

"Well those are harder than average to break out of." He adds as he watched her work for a moment. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." She replies.

"I heard an old rumor somewhere that Amazons lose their strength if caught?"

"Never heard of it and I haven't felt anything change." Raven replies as a click is heard and she is free. "Your source material isn't those magazines in your room I hope?" Richard remains stone faced at this.

"I don't know what you are talking about." He huffs as she returns the tool to its boot compartment and puts the cuffs into one of her belt compartments, joining the one pair already there.

"Of course you don't." She says sounding amused. "Anyways, Bruce promised me hell during my training so I expect this will become near impossible later on." She continues as she walks out of the cave, followed by him.

"That it will." Richard agrees. "But don't work yourself to death down here, he isn't expecting you to surpass him, yet."

"I know, but I promised him I would give him my all and wasn't it you who said something about the more we sweat in the training room, the less we would hurt in the field?" She asks before walking into the wardrobe, leaving him to wait outside.

"I did, but I didn't mean you should kill yourself."

"I know, but I am committed to this. And I know Bruce isn't the kind of person you want to disappoint too often." She replies.

"That he isn't, but you will end up hurting yourself if you keep raising the bar for yourself because he will raise it accordingly." He says as she comes out again, dressed in the training set.

"Let me worry about that if it happens, I'm a big girl you know?" She asks, locking eyes with him.

"I know, I just hope you understand what you have signed on for." He says before turning away, leading her up the stairs.

"I got an opportunity here that most men and boys in tights would kill for, I didn't ask to become 'the one' for all of this, but I won't squander it or trivialize it… I can only hope I eventually live up to it."

"I know you won't, but don't jump on anything that looks good from afar." He stops and turns to face her when he hears she has stopped. He knew well enough that quite a few of his colleagues thought being a Bat meant everything was smooth sailing, but they don't know how how hard it is and what kind of toll it takes on them.

"Richard, I know what I am doing and I am willing to do what it takes. I know I won't like everything Bruce plans on putting me through, but we aren't supposed to either. I may not have the same motivation for wanting to do this as the rest of you, and that may seen as a disadvantage to some, but I am determined to prove that Bruce and Barbara were not mistaken about giving me this chance."

"I know and I know they are not." Richard's before opening the door.

_Later that day:_

"Next lesson is crime scene analysis." Batman announces as Raven exits the wardrobe again after several hours of rest, dressed and ready. "I know you have some knowledge about it, so I have set one up and your job is to show me what you can do." He says getting a silent nod before leading her down to one of the bottom platforms. "Normally, we arrive before the police contaminate the scene, but some we have to make do with what's left, this is one in the first category." He says as he leads her onto an empty platform. Pressing a few buttons on a console mounted on the posts at the side, the bubble sheen surface, like the one that the conference platform has, springs to life around the platform before it and cave disappears in a hologram, replacing it with a badly lit apartment with a single flickering light and a window to the city as the only sources of light.

Inside the room is an overturned bed with a dirty mattress facing the cracked wall, a small wooden table where a figure is slumped over a game of cards and three half empty bottles of booze and an ashtray filled with squashed cigarette's and a pool of blood under its head. The figure is facing away from them, sitting in a cheap wooden chair; another chair is overturned, lying on the other side. The figure is a male with dirty blond hair, wearing an azure jacket over a cheap striped shirt and black pants. From where they are standing, a gun can be seen lying on ground, opposite side of the table.

"First impressions?" Batman asks.

"Suicide victim, guy hit a rough streak in his life, turned to drink and ended up like this." Raven replies.

"Keep that in mind, and remember if the police do not see us doing it, they are better off not knowing we were here." Raven nods before carefully walking into the simulation, walking clockwise around the table, carefully taking note of everything. "What do you see?"

"This is a murder." She replies. "There is an entry wound on his forehead, but there is no trace of gunpowder on his face." Crouching down she lets a finger rest near the mouth of a gun. "Gun is cold, either this it not the weapon or the shot was fired long ago."

"Possibly he fired the shot from afar?" Batman asks.

"Possible, but if he intended to kill himself, why risk missing?" Raven counters, from her crouching position, looking up at the guy. "And why would he have a bullet wound in his chest?" She continues after spotting the bloodstained shirt and the hole as the light flickers just enough for her to spot it. "Trying to run an ID on him." She says and presses her left ear, turning on the night vision and stands up, looking at the face of the man. "Thomas 'Toby' Wickner's, low level mob thug, got kicked out recently. Had a drinking problem for several years and suffered from depression from time to time. Used to play poker with his colleagues and frequented several den's, including other mob's." She reads aloud before turning it off, the light was blinding her.

"So it could be suicide or a murder." Batman says from the corner he is occupying.

"I am almost certain it is a murder now, because of the two bullet wounds. Granted, he could have tried shooting himself in the chest first and miss everything before trying from afar, but why risk it a second time?" She says while looking around the place, noting the overturned furniture and the cards on the ground. Also spotting a large splatter of blood on the wall next to the window. "A theory; Toby is here alone when one or more enter the place for a game of cards, they drink and smoke, at some point a struggle erupts, resulting in the turned over furniture and the cards on the floor." She says as she walks over to rub some dust between her fingers. "And the ash over here. Toby ends up on the losing side and is shot here, or near this spot." She says gesturing at the floor in front of the blood splatter on the wall. "Resulting in the chest wound, possibly the shooter panics or something, but he or she decides to set this up as a suicide case and arranges what we see now. As a finishing touch, Toby is shot again, this time in the head. An autopsy and a bullet analysis will be needed to tell if he was killed by the first or second shot and if the gun on the floor is the murder weapon." She continues as she takes another look at the body, pushing his jacket aside with two fingers. "He doesn't have a wallet; possibly he was robbed after he was killed. Hmm, whoever did shoot him seems to have a sense of humor." She notes as she looks at the cards visible under him. "The dead man's hand, Beastboy and Cyborg arranged a poker night once or twice and wouldn't shut up about it when they either of them got it." She says before remembering something and picks out a scanner she was introduced to yesterday. Quickly she scans the victim's right hand for prints before scanning the gun on the floor. "Hmm, it's his gun, no other prints on it."

"You have mentioned an autopsy and a bullet analysis, anything further to add how to find out who did this?" Batman asks.

"Without disturbing the scene, no. But I suspect the murderer is a mobster, possibly one of Toby's old friends, possibly a rival one wanting him out of the way now that he is without protection."

"Where would you go from here?" He continues.

"The computer has a list of his associates and haunts, I would start with his friends, then his foes. But before that, I would have the bullet in the wall analyzed, Nightwing mentioned once you have the equipment to do so, even if the bullet was shattered. From there it is possible there is prints left behind that can lead us to the murderer." Bruce nods at this and steps into the scene as well.

"Very professional, but you are ruling out the possibility of this being one of the special cases?"

"No, but Toby was not known for any connections to them, he didn't have a reason to as long as he was with Falcone's mob. Granted he could have been made an example of by them and their gangs, but it doesn't fit really, if it was a message, why try to hide it? And from what I read, the MO of the special's filters into their gangs and this doesn't show any signs of them." Bruce nods at this.

"Good, seems you have learned a lot from the material Richard left behind." He says before walking over to the light switch next to the spot he occupied and kills the hologram by flicking it. "This case was purely animated, but we may come across those that look like it. And as you may know, some murders are without reason but you will get to train in this later on. Follow me." He says as he walks back the way they came, to a metal door in the cave wall.

"In here is what, Nightwing and Robin both came to call the Torture Chamber." He says before opening the door and walks inside, Raven following behind him, finding them in a long corridor with many metal cell doors. "Occasionally, we take someone back here for interrogation when we can't do it in the field. We haven't needed to do anything extreme, yet, being in an unfamiliar dark location with us is usually enough after we lay down the possibilities for them." He says while they walk down the hall, Raven stealing looks into the cells, finding some oddly old fashioned, with chains on the wall, others with a single chair or bed with restraints on them as well others appear more outlandish.

"I guess escapology will land me down here too?" She asks.

"It will." Bruce says. "And you won't always have the benefit of knowing when it will happen." He continues as they exit into a larger cave at the back. "This is where we usually train in resisting interrogation."

To Raven this part of the cave could have jumped out of a history book or museum, there is a rack, an old fashioned dunking stool, even a pair of stocks.

"Kinda old fashioned?" She asks.

"It is, but easy to make and the scum in the city employ some varieties of this. There is however one thing I need to warn you about." He says while turning to face her.

"What?"

"Because of your gender, in case you are captured, they may try to break you by threatening to rape you. This we can't train, but I know you have the memories of one's that didn't happen, but you need to know the risk. I won't say I expect it to happen, but the risk is there."

"I understand and if it was to happen?" She asks.

"You have permission to do what you can, to slip away, lights go out and you disappear, that sort of thing if possible. If the worst happens, just know that we will be there for you afterwards." She nods at this.

"I will do what I can to save those I can, what happens to me is secondary." She says.

"Big words, I hope there is as much action behind them if it should happen." He says calmly. "You have the rest of the day off. Just be prepared to head out by the usual hour."

"I will." She replies.

A week passes like this, Raven training during most of the day, quickly having her focus on the skills Bruce told her she was lacking in, escapology, driving with Richard, throwing techniques with the batarangs and grenades, and studying various school assignments. Bruce notes she is a fast student and she is progressing rapidly in most fields, but she is still struggling with escaping, and that she is a little conservative with her methods that usually involves using the lock picking tool whenever possible, even using it as a saw at one point. After some arguing, Bruce convinces Richard to help him with changing this.

"Are you even sure, gas works on her?" Richard whispers behind Bruce as they walk down the corridors of the manor, late at night after patrols.

"From all I've seen, I believe she is as vulnerable to it as she is to anything else when in human form, I am more concerned that Cerberus isn't." Bruce says as they come up on Ravens door, slipping on the light gas masks from their costumes before quietly entering the room.

Bruce had hidden a small gas bomb in her room while she was out during the day, which triggered when she came home, filling the room with odourless sleeping gas.

They find Cerberus sleeping soundly at the window, while Raven doesn't stir at all as she lies sleeping, dressed only in a black set of panties and a bra. "This is wrong on so many levels." Richard whispers as Bruce quickly scoops her up and throws her over his shoulder before the two quickly make their way down to the cave.

Quickly they have her dressed in her costume, minus the gloves and belt before they carry her down to the prison cave and into one of the cells, leaving her boots beside her as he puts her down.

"She can be as angry as she wants when she wakes up and gets out." Bruce says. "But she will learn how to deal with this." He continues as they lock her arms and legs into the heavy shackles that have a too short of a length of chain for her to clap her hands together. "The gas should keep her out for several hours, come on we have to get some rest as well." He says before leading Richard out the door before slamming it shut, leaving Raven slumped against the wall.

Raven wakes up in the dark, with a splintering headache, wanting to know what was on her face, she tries to move her hands but finds them and her feet secured to the wall and with her sitting on a concrete floor. A sudden flashback strikes her, memories of Tartarus, which has her lurch to her feet in shock and fear, too fast for her head and she quickly ends back on her rump because of it and the chains. The action however has her logical mind enter the situation.

"_If you are really back in Tartarus, then you can't break the chains anyway. The material on your face is your mask, meaning this is most likely Bruce's doing and you are in one the Cave cells." _The embodiment says. _"This is another lesson and he did warn you that you wouldn't always know when it came."_ Raven nods at this in the dark, it makes sense to her. _"Wait with trying anything with this head."_ She nods at this as well and tries to get comfortable as possible before drifting off to sleep again.

"Do you think it was too strong?" Richard asks as he and Bruce notes that Raven is still sleeping in the cell, they are watching from the computer, having a small camera in the cell to watch her with.

"No, she woke up two hours ago but has fallen asleep again, possibly she has a headache." Bruce replies from his seat. "From the initial reaction, I think she had a short flashback of waking up in Tartarus."

"Seems like she is coming to again." Richard notes after a moment as the green tinted image shows her head beginning to move. In silence they watch her get up and cracks a few joints before she tests how much she can move before leaning to her left and activates the night vision in her cowl.

She quickly spots her boots and tries reaching for them, finding them well out of reach of her hands. Richard can almost tell she is growling at this before she spots something on the wall.

"You left a note?" He asks, Bruce often left hints down there that would only show up on the scanner.

"Yes, the only way she is getting out unaided is by dislocating a thumb. But it is not what I wrote." Bruce says. "She hasn't done it before, if she can't, then we have to add aerobics to her program."

"Hmm and she will have till tomorrow morning to get out?" Richard asks.

"Yes, but she doesn't know when that is. Let's leave her to it." He says before turning off the monitor.

Richard spends the rest of the day expecting Raven to emerge at some point, furious, tired, annoyed or something, but she doesn't and Bruce bans him from watching her as he himself only takes brief glimpses but won't say anything. Richard thinks it odd that she doesn't emerge at dinner time or when they return home from patrol, sighing heavily when Bruce just says he will have to wait till the morning.

The following morning, they head down to the cell after finding her bedroom empty. Bruce deposits Richard outside the cell while he enters and shuts the door after him, having turned on the light from the outside.

"Raven, I want an explanation." He says sternly.

"I… I couldn't do it." She replies in a tired voice while looking at the ground, Bruce has come to read this as how she unconsciously signals shame or embarrassment. "I don't know how to get out of this." She admits.

"The note I left." Bruce says.

"I tried, but I couldn't do it." She sighs, nodding at her right hand that is sunk into the restraint, but stuck halfway up the back of her hand.

"Never done it before?" Bruce asks.

"Never." Raven replies. "Is it something I can learn?"

"Yes and you will learn it." He says as he moves over and shoves the restraint back into place. "How bad is it?"

"It's not." She says, realizing she is going to be stuck here till she gets out on her own. "How do you do it?"

"Tip of the day; dislocations happen when bones are lifted from their settings, usually by a sudden blow. I expect you will be out in a matter of hours at the latest." He says before walking out and shuts the door again and shuts off the light.

"No, it is not extreme." Bruce replies flatly to Richard's question. "You've been there."

"Yes, but I had practice before you did it. So no food or anything?"

"No." Bruce says as the outer door shuts behind them.

_Later:_

"Ah Miss Raven, good to see you above the surface again." Alfred says as she stumbles into the kitchen several hours after Bruce had gone to work, wearing her training clothes.

"I really need some tea right now." She says as she gets herself a chair with some difficulty.

"Are you all right?" Alfred asks after seeing this.

"I… don't know if I did it right." She sighs, holding up her bruised hands, displaying the oddly hanging thumbs on both.

"Oh dear, come with me Miss, we need setting them back." Alfred says, quickly abandoning the teapot he was filling and has her walk down into the small infirmary. "May I ask how long they have been this way?" He asks as he notes the bruises.

"Not sure." She sighs tiredly. "Did it with the wrong one first, then had to pick three locks with them, then redress and a badly needed bathroom visit."

"You will need some ice then I'm afraid." He says as she winces while he sets them back.

"Yeah, but some food would do wonders." She says, getting a smile out of the old man.

"And you shall have it." Alfred says happily before leading her back into the kitchen. She resigns herself to sit with her hands in a bowl of cold water while watching him work in the kitchen.

"Alfred, am I doing badly since he is doing this?" She asks suddenly, letting a tired edge of defeat enter her voice.

"What makes you think that?" He asks.

"These tests just seem to become harder and harder so fast, and I am not ashamed to admit that I am not doing as well as I should be. And I am even putting in extra hours to get it right."

"Never judge the Master's reaction as equating what he thinks; even if you perform badly, he might be pleased at the result you achieved. I have been told that many in the League think of him as impossible to please, but I know he knows that people learn more when he yells at them than when he utters his approval."

"I guessed it was like that, it just never seems like that when you are there." She sighs.

"It's because he saves his praise for the times when it is really needed Rae." Richard says as he enters the kitchen. "Good to see you out again." He says as he sits down next to her. "Hurt the first times I did it as well." He continues while noting her hands.

"Quite right." Alfred adds. "And here is the lady's tea." He says as he brings over the pot and a full cup.

"My day is saved." Raven smiles tiredly. "So how did you get me down there?" She asks before taking a mouthful.

"Won't tell you, because it will happen again, but I can tell you it is gas. But I don't know where he hides the dispenser, there's one in my room too, but I have given up trying to find it." Richard says.

"Wayne Manor, never know when you fall asleep and wake up in a prison." She replies emptying her cup.

"It's good training." Richard shrugs.

"I don't doubt that." Raven replies. "But I am a little annoyed at being carried off in the middle of the night in nothing by my underwear."

"Warned you." Richard smirks.

"Hope you enjoyed the view." She notes dryly, pouring herself a fresh cup.

"And if I did?" He asks, still sporting a smirk, getting a sigh out of her as the only reply before her stomach begins growling. "Better hurry up Alfred or that lioness is clawing its way out." He says.

"As you very well know Master Richard, my exquisite sandwiches cannot be rushed." Alfred replies without turning.

"Please, I am famished." Raven pleads, but it doesn't make the old man hurry up, getting a tired sigh out of her. "Wonder what the League is doing?"

"Plenty, but they have given you two weeks off for your work." Richard replies. "Flash thinks you are, enjoying the beaches somewhere." This gets a smile out of her. "Actually, that reminds me, they want you on the Satellite tomorrow, all the Titans will be there for the tryouts and they want you to help with a few."

"I am available if I don't get drugged and stuffed in a box beforehand. Oh Sweet Azar, I never knew I could get his hungry!" She continues as Alfred turns around with a tray filled with sandwiches in his hands.

"She got out?" Bruce asks as he enters the kitchen, half an hour after Raven has retired for a shower and a nap.

"Indeed sir, with two dislocated thumbs I might add." Alfred replies as he looks up from the dishes. "But I might add that she needs a little getting used to your dislocation techniques."

"She will, but she has the added problem of an Amazon's constitution. Her muscles are much denser than that of an ordinary human, but it is not impossible for her to learn." He says while sitting down, knowing that her strength and constitution was working against her, pull to little and nothing would happen and if she pulled too hard, she'd end up pulling the chains out of the wall. "Was she hungry when she got out?"

"Very, downed an entire pot of tea and five sandwiches." Bruce nods at this, he had noticed she didn't eat a lot normally, and one of Alfred's sandwiches was usually a half meal for her. "Master Richard notified her that the League has requested her presence tomorrow?"

"They did, and she will go." Bruce says. "Where is she now?"

"I believe she retired for a nap and a shower." Alfred replies.

"Good, so how was she emotionally when she got out?"

"Tired and a little downhearted I believe, she mentioned wondering if she was performing poorly." Bruce smirks a little at this. "May I ask if this is true?"

"Of course not, she is performing well, but she has much to learn. But she is showing a great amount of willingness to learn."

"Would you be comfortable with leaving the city for her to handle?" Alfred asks, Bruce thinks for several moments about this.

"Not alone, not right now. With Dick or Tim around, yes, but she isn't ready to handle Gotham alone."

"Sir may I inquire if you have noticed Master Richard's behavior around her?" Alfred asks as he begins drying the dishes.

"I have and it has been going on since she showed up."

"Do you disapprove?" Alfred asks, having often asked to matters of the heart of Bruce Wayne.

"As long as the team remains unaffected, I won't interfere." Bruce replies. "I know he will have to approach her soon and have it resolved."

"Perhaps it is time then, that Bruce Wayne takes his youngest ward fishing?" Alfred asks with a smile.

"Hmm, perhaps it is that time?" Bruce asks, echoing the smile. "Hmm actually, the formula one is passing Bridgestone next weekend."

"So you're off to England for the weekend?" Richard asks in surprise right after the announcement that Bruce, Tim and Alfred are going, while they were all sharing the evenings sandwiches.

"We are, and I trust I can leave the city in your hands in the meantime?" Bruce replies, while Tim is already smiling like an idiot, it wasn't a secret of any sort that he loved Formula One racing.

"Of course." Richard replies.

"You disapprove?" Bruce notes at his expression.

"I… no, of course not, but I figured it would be months before you would leave town again?" Richard explains.

"Gotham still has a Batman if needed." Bruce shrugs.

"I am not putting on that again." Richard replies flatly getting a few moments of silence.

"Training continues I guess?" Raven adds.

"Of course, there will be a schedule to follow." Bruce replies without looking at her.

"At least I know who is to blame if I find myself in a cell again." Raven says with a smirk at Richard, whose face heats up. "By the way, is it as myself I go tomorrow?"

"Yes, but bring the costume, someone did mention something about it." Bruce says. "Now tonight we will be hitting the west side, Harvey is reported to be operating there these days."

* * *

**Next chapter: **Titanic Tryouts! (joking :) ) You might see a few new faces.


	41. Testing the Titans

"There's a lot." Raven says quietly as she Nightwing and Batman appears on the teleporter pad of the station, eyeing the large group of people assembled in the hall. She can confirm that every Titan they had on the list has shown up, minus Joseph Wilson who had declined the offer. And a few others, including Kyle, Donna, Conner and Cassandra.

"And Rose Wilson?" Nightwing notes at the girl leaning against the back wall, having a clear area around her.

"She has the skills, if she has the morals is another matter." Batman replies as he leads them down the stairs.

"And what are our roles in this?" Raven asks.

"Mine is the same as everyone else showing up." Nightwing replies. "I am not a member and I have to go through the tests."

"Ours will be elaborated shortly." Batman says. "Can you get us to the cantina?" He asks.

"Of course, good luck Nightwing." She says before her soul-self swallows her and Batman before flying through the station, and arrives in the cantina, finding the Founders and several other heroes here, including Captain Atom, Barda, Dr. Fate, Vixen and a few others Raven doesn't know yet.

"Right on time." Superman notes before addressing the entire room. "Ok everyone, we have a lot of people to try out. Wally will pass around your assignments." He says as the Scarlet Speedster blurs and everyone suddenly have a brown paper envelope in their hands. "Inside is confidential information, you are not to share this with each other. We will be monitoring the progress. Ok you have twelve minutes to get to your assignments." As he finishes the group of heroes open their envelopes, Raven finds her assignment to lay an ambush as Batgirl in one of the training hall's and a direct magical confrontation, but also to add a fear factor in one other arena, last on the list she notes with a raised eyebrow that there is a time, but not an assignment marked as special.

After changing clothes, she arrives in her designated hall, finding it changed into the Shinobi Stand simulation. "Hey there." Mr. Terrific's voice says from above. "The rafters are solid, your goal is to act as a hostile force, defeat everyone if possible, retreat if the opposition is too steep." Raven gives him the thumbs up before getting ready, hiding in the darkness above.

She settles herself behind a post, leaving her a clear view of the entrance, while keeping herself almost invisible. From her position, she shoots her grapple hook across the room to the rafter opposite hers.

She waits 10 minutes before the door is opened and a group of three enters, Ravager and Bushido led in by Katana.

"Hmm, cozy." Ravager notes at the surroundings. Raven picks her target, Katana, based on the fact the woman is the oldest of the sword wielders and the most experienced and thus the most dangerous.

The group draws their swords, apparently knowing something is happening here. And walks into the room carefully, only quickly scanning the rafters above, Raven guesses her costume is making her practically invisible, since none of them notices her. She waits until Katana is right in her path before rising slowly to her feet before letting herself get pulled feet first across the room. In hindsight Raven should have chosen one of the other two, because Katana nimbly ducks out of her path, letting her sail harmlessly over her. To swing around the rafter to crouch there eyeing the group.

"Cool." Ravager says with a smirk as Raven stands up. "Oh crap." She says before rolling aside as Batgirl spreads her cape, and glides feet first towards her. Batgirl rolls with her landing as well as Bushido attacks, swinging his sword horizontally, hoping to catch her across her lower back.

Rolling to her feet facing him, she is quickly forced to use an open palm with her left to deflect the diagonal slash aimed at her, followed up with a kick aimed at his shoulder that has him grunt in pain. She isn't afforded much down time, just enough for her to jump up and swing herself up onto the rafter over her as Ravager and Katana rushes her. The two quickly move away before Batgirl can come up with retaliation, ending up far from each other.

Again she targets Katana, jumping down from the rafter and rushes the woman, getting so close to her that her sword becomes a liability, landing two quick punches to the woman's midsection and a slap to the left side of her head before hand-standing onto Katana's shoulders and tosses her into a corner when she comes down on the other side.

Turning around quickly, she is forced into a dance of avoidance and open palm strikes against Ravager who lands her attacks like a dervish, oddly Raven is reminded of her fight against Artemis, but before she can land an attack she is forced to leap to one side as Bushido adds his attacks to the fray, following her past Ravager. This proves to be his undoing as Batgirl rolls as she lands, catching him with both feet and launches him over herself and onto his back before she continues rolling over him, grabbing his sword on the way before standing up facing Ravager.

"So a sword fighter too?" She says as she regards Batgirl who stands motionless with the katana pointing at the ground. "Silent too." She notes as Batgirl slowly raises the weapon over her head, she can almost tell Ravagers eyes widen before leaping aside as the sword flies through the air and impales the post behind her. Before Ravager can react properly Batgirl is on her, grabbing hold of her wrists before putting a thumb onto the point, getting a pained growl out of her as her hands involuntarily drop her weapons.

Batgirl is caught off guard by the knee that is hammered into her chest and the two are carried to the ground with her underneath Ravager who crawl to straddle her across the chest. "Damn, let go!" Ravager growls as she tries to get her hands free while her legs begin to squeeze Batgirl's chest.

Batgirls knows she is going to black out eventually if Ravagers above human strength keeps squeezing her ribcage, so she shakes her viciously once, letting her left hand go before planting a solid right hook on the side of Ravagers head. The girl collapses to the side with the punch before Batgirl gets to her feet, spotting Katana charging her; she pulls out her grappling hook and fires it into the ceiling before letting it pull her away, ending the test.

"Ok folks, test is over. Go get any injuries tended to and report to the next." Michael says from above.

"Come Ravager-san, we shall have that jaw tended to." Katana says after sheathing her sword.

"I'll be just dandy when I get my hands on that bat." Ravager growls as she tests her sore jaw before collecting her swords and following Katana out. Bushido remains a few seconds in the center of the room before bowing to the shadows as a sign of respect. Collecting his sword he leaves as well, letting Batgirl slip her way down to the ground.

"Nice moves kid, wonder why Batman didn't want you to try out as well?" Michael asks from above, Raven just makes a slicing gesture along her throat. "Ah mute, pity. Oh well, better clear out, the next batch will arrive in a few moments." She nods before exiting as well, making sure she is not seen by any camera's and other's she teleports to her room before changing and teleports back to the same training hall, finding it appearing like a deserted mountain valley, with boulders scattered about the place, with a blue sky overhead and green grass under her feet. "Hey Raven."

"Hello Michael." She replies. "How's the league handling?"

"Just fine now that the big guys are back thanks to you. How about you? Enjoying the sun somewhere?"

"Yeah, doing wonders for my complexion. So any chance of knowing who I am supposed to be meeting here?" She had an idea who since she was specifically requested to use magic here.

"Zatanna's cousin, Jinx and a guy Blue Devil brought along, some kid calling himself Kid Devil." He says.

"Fate's leading them?" She asks not really looking forwards to having to fight him.

"He won't be entering the arena, but yes it is his team, a note from the big guys, you are allowed to wheel out your other shape's if you want to, but the emphasis is on magic. They will be here in a matter of moments if you want to get ready."

"Got it, thanks." She says before flying up onto the largest boulder in the center of the arena and sits herself down in her meditative stance and waits getting a few moments of peace and quiet before the door is opened and a boy with short curled horns, red skin, pointed tail and yellow glowing eyes enters, wearing nothing but a pair of black shorts, followed by a boy of equal age in a dress suit, white gloves and a top hat and Jinx forming the rearguard.

"Hot damn! It's a girl our age." The boy who Raven guesses is Kid Devil says.

"She's clearly older than us you buffoon." The other one says with a snobbish aristocratic tone in his voice. "Forgive my rude associate, but you would know where this challenge is to be found?" He asks, before noticing Jinx has stopped. "I say, what is the matter Jinx, one would think you saw a ghost?"

"Er, guys… she **is** our challenge." Jinx says while her pupils have grown wide.

"She is?" Kid Devil asks before turning back. "WOW!" He manages before jumping over a huge boulder that smashes into the ground where he stood.

"A telekinetic, how novel. redluoB up!" He commands and Raven teleports to the side before the rock she was floating over blasts into the sky. "Hmm, teleporter too."

"Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos." Raven chants before letting two blast of black magic race towards the aristocrat and Jinx.

"dleihS!" The boy commands as Jinx leaps aside, sending her own pink bolts towards Raven who floats to the side and avoids it while Kid Devil runs below her.

Seeing this, Raven animate several of the rocks below to keep him more occupied with them than her. "niartseR reh!" The aristocratic boy commands and three heavy metal bands appear around Raven, pinning her feet together and her arms to her sides before sending her crashing to the ground. "And there you have it folks, how magic should be." He says proudly. "Let us see her get out of that one." He says as the rocks stop chasing Red Devil.

"There's no way she is down that easy." Jinx says as she gets up.

"Of course she is." The boy says confidently as he and Devil walk over where Raven landed "I say, where is she?" He asks finding the three bands empty.

"I think she just teleported Zach." Devil says.

"Behind you!" Jinx warns having seen Raven appear on a boulder behind the two, sending two bolts at Raven who leap's to another stone before getting tackled to the ground by Devil.

"Give it up babe." Devil smirks as they roll around. "I'm stronger than most."

"No Devil don't, she's an…" Devil is suddenly flying through the air with a wild screech. "… Amazon."

"Really? I thought they were taller?" Zach says as the two watch Raven get up, Jinx notes with some concern that she is bare footed and that Devil is quickly back up behind her. "I say, give up and we need not harm you, we have you covered."

"We don't have squat." Jinx says as she notices Raven's pigmentation change.

"You don't." Raven agrees as the full transformation takes effect and her horns, tail and wings appear, pushing her hood and cloak back.

"Hot damn!" Devil says before leaping at her, the two other doesn't see the movement Raven makes, but Devil is caught by the throat getting a strangled noise out of him.

"No one said we were dealing with a demon!" Zach complains.

"I'm offended." Devil says with a strangled voice.

"Half-demon." Jinx says before sending two arching bolts at Raven who let them impact against her shield.

"Hey, are you fireproof?" Devil asks before blowing a stream of fire into Raven's face.

"Are you?" Raven asks from the firestorm before a gout of flame rushes into Devil, blurring out the two in fire.

"eriF pots!" Zach commands and the two flames are extinguished. Revealing the two demons still staring at each other. "Time to end this, nemod enogeb!" Jinx's eyes go wide when the two vanish.

"Hey, where did you send them?" Jinx asks, Zach just shrugs.

"Home I suspect, but the day is won, magic has prevailed." He says with indifference.

"Yeah and you sent Eddie with her! Bring them back!" Jinx demands.

"Alas I cannot bring the buffoon back, even if I wished to." He shrugs, sounding more offended than concerned as he notices the looming shadow behind him just before a hand closes around his throat and lifts him into the air. "Hrk!" He manages as he struggles against the vice like grip.

"Your cousin did that as well, now look what you did to your friend." Raven says with an annoyed tone holding an out cold Devil up by his ankle in her right hand and Zach by her left, with her reeking of sulfur. "Now you sleep." She says as her eyes glow a little brighter and the young mage falls asleep, before being put down along with Devil, Raven on purpose placing Zach's face in Devil's butt. "And you Jinx?" Raven says facing the pink headed sorcerer.

"Like old times?" Jinx smirks as she summons her energies. Raven smiles slightly as she turns back to her human self.

"Like old times." She agrees before she attacks.

"Well that was amusing." Michael says from above while Raven collects her boots. "What happened to the red kid?"

"Zatanna's cousin sent the both of us to Hell, but we were separated when we landed. I landed in a sulfur lake and he landed on the head of what I call a fiend."

"I take it that was a bad thing?"

"They have the same temper as Etrigan, but not quite as strong as him. Fortunately, they decided just to beat him up for starters." Raven replies. "I sensed something peculiar about him?"

"I guess you would, Blue Devil said, that he got his powers by making a deal of some kind. Blue Devil was a movie stunt man once, got lured into a deal that sealed him inside a Blue Devil suit, a part he was playing. The kid is supposedly a fan of the movie series and by that extension of Blue Devil after he got turned." Raven groans from below.

"Let me guess, someone offered him a chance to be closer to his idol?"

"That is what he said happened, some guy called Neron did it, Kid seems happy enough though." Terrific replies.

"Neron made the deal?" Raven asks in alarm. "Wonder if he even knows what he has done to himself?" She sighs.

"Anything wrong?" Michael asks.

"Neron is the ruler of the Greater Hell, the current day Satan, he is called the Prince of Lies and he is a deal maker, there is bound to be a downside to that deal he made." She says. "We need to speak to him about this."

"I will note it down, along with Zatanna's cousin being arrogant and uncaring of his team members by looks of things."

"I actually liked Zatanna better, she at least had something reason for being unlikable in the beginning, Zach just seems to be arrogant because he thinks he's better." Raven replies.

"Kid seems to have some tricks though." Michael mentions.

"That he does, but he shouldn't have them if he decides to win a fight by casually blowing parts of his team to kingdom come. Jinx did ok though."

"She did, looked like, dare I say it, you two had fun squaring off against each other." Michael says form above with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"First fight we have been since she turned over a new leaf four years ago, felt like old times, except she would have to go to jail afterwards back then."

"She knew she was going to lose?" Michael asks.

"Back then I mostly just stalled her before one of the others knocked her on the head, but I did win a few, but so did she. But she did come with me when I had to get the dragon's claw, so yes, I'd say she knew she would lose. Anyways, I got to go according to my list; I have to go help one of the others."

"Enjoy." Michael says from above as she leaves the room as well.

The next scenario for Raven is assisting Vixen in adding effect in the 'Greenery', a large greenhouse that resembles a jungle more than a garden, to Raven's amusement, the team she was ambushing was Cyborg, Beastboy and Starfire led by Green Arrow.

Vixen started the ball by charging through them as they formed a narrow row to traverse the jungle, while she channels the powers of an elephant, scattering them and carries Cyborg off. Beastboy and Starfire are quickly in pursuit, the old team instincts kicking in, leaving Green Arrow to hurry after them.

As this is Vixens test, Raven is resigned to watch her battle the four, while she rustles leaves and makes a half-hearted grab for Green Arrow and the others when he comes too close to the green. While impressive, the lone woman fights the four by channeling different animals, she can't fight the three Titans that prevent her from taking any of them out. She ends up getting caught by a starbolt's and a sonic blast while she and Beastboy butt heads as bulls.

_Later, after the other trials were completed:_

"So what is this last thing on my list?" Raven asks as she follows Batman through the station, she had given up trying to figure out where he was going.

"You are going to part of a special event. Search and rescue mission." Batman replies as they walk.

"As?" Raven continues.

"The candidates are assembled in sparring hall one, waiting for the results. In a few moments when you are ready, the alarm will sound. Your job will be to pick one or two of the candidates and abduct them, take them to the Pit and wait for the others to arrive, possibly 'entertain' them. You don't have to look like yourself, but that is up to you."

"That is a very dangerous test." Raven mentions.

"We are confident in your abilities to reign in the troops, but be assured you might lose a few." Batman replies without a break in his voice.

"And you will track this how?"

"Dr. Fate is looking into the Pit as we speak."

"Ok, and when do I have to bring them back?"

"Their score is only partially determined on whenever they make it or not, we will be watching them and evaluating their performance and attitude. Do you know who to take?" He asks.

"Hmm, Jinx is the obvious candidate, since she has been there before. While I wouldn't mind entertaining Zatanna's cousin or Ravager, I was thinking of Nightwing." This has Batman stop to look at her, obviously her suggestion surprised him.

"Why him?"

"Jinx I will take because she knows the place and not fall for the attack ruse, Nightwing because I know he is a born leader, if he is not taken, then he will lead everyone else. Also, everyone on this station likes him, making it easier for them to figure out if they want to rush through a portal to get him and Jinx back. I take it; you aren't going to be evaluating prisoner behavior?"

"No. It is a good choice, we did think of the same eventuality, take him. Will let us see if there are other potential field leaders." He says as they enter a hallway with viewports into the hall beneath, spotting the large group of people walking around down there.

"Ok, I will be ready in two minutes, opening a lasting portal takes a little more focus." The man nods before walking off. _"Hey Richard."_

"_Hey Rae, had fun jumping on people?"_ He sends back.

"_Sure I did. Say would you mind terribly standing near Jinx?"_

"_Uh no, but why?"_ He sends back, but she can see him move towards the pink head.

"_Oh no reason." _She sends back, feeling ready to do what she was being asked.

"_Eh? What's going on Rae?"_ He asks as the alarms begin blaring and the light switches to red.

"_Hold on, we are going for a little ride."_ She says after phasing through the glass, changing form while doing so.

"Whoa, what's the emergency?!" Cyborg yells over the racket.

"Beats me!" Beastboy shouts back, before someone yells a warning as an ear piercing roar tears through the noise. "What the hell?!" Beastboy says as a huge circular portal opens in the middle of the room as a huge muscular winged demon disappears into it, carrying two figures in his huge hands, two very familiar to the pair.

"That thing got Rob!" Cyborg shouts.

"Come foolish mortals; come to hell for your friends!" A deep booming voice roars its challenge from the portal, blowing out the alarms in the hall.

"Guy's it took Jinx!" Kid Flash cries as he finds them.

"Got Rob too, come on!" Cyborg says as she begins shoving his way through the people not moving.

"Yes we must assist them!" Starfire says as she zooms overhead, becoming the second to disappear into the portal after Kid Flash.

"Come on y'all, people in need of saving!" Cyborg yells before he and Beastboy disappears as well.

"You heard the man!" Bumblebee shouts as well before she, Tempest and Herald rush into the portal as well.

There is a ripple effect throughout the room and more and more young heroes pile into the portal that begins to close slowly, leaving only one finely dressed magician behind as it closes with a plop.

_Elsewhere on the Watchtower:_

"Admirable. They all rush to their aid." J'onn says as he and other Founders look into the portal.

"Indeed, even those who only met them a few hours ago." Diana agrees.

"I am embarrassed I'm related to him." Zatanna sighs, looking her cousin shoving his hands into his pockets.

"How long did you say he had his powers?" Superman asks as the image grows dark.

"Half a year, give or take a month. I just don't get it, he was this great kid before and now, well, I don't know if any of the others want to play with him anymore." She replies.

"There will be bad eggs Zee, your cousin is just one of them." Wally adds.

"Sadly, I thought that by bringing him here would mellow him to fit the mold. So where are they now?" Zatanna asks.

"Here." Fate says as the image clears to see the big group of people look around themselves in a vast hellish landscape.

"You sure this is a good idea?" Shayera asks.

"Positive, Raven will provide them with a believable threat, how they handle it is up to them." Batman replies.

* * *

**Next Chapter: **A change in the wind.


	42. A Change in the Winds

_The Eight Pit:_

"Err, what is this place?" Nightwing asks as the three lands in the courtyard of the fortress.

"A citadel once, I think, we were here when we had to gather an army to get Malchior's claw." Raven replies as she lands and changes back.

"Ok, so why are we here?" Nightwing continues.

"Batman gave me free choice amongst the candidates to bring here, the others think you two have been abducted and had only a limited time to decide whenever they would help or not. I choose Jinx, because she has been here before and would blow the cover when they meet the first group of demons. And I took you because you are a natural leader and would be the one leading the rest, by taking you; we are forcing someone else to step up." Raven explains, as a huge shape emerges in the doorway in front of them. "Archivist." Raven greets flatly.

"Your Highness, you return." The demon replies and lowers its gaze, Nightwing halts the batarang he was getting out and puts it back in it compartment.

"I have. We have guests in the wastes that I am entertaining." She says as she passes it.

"Humans?" The demon asks.

"Yes, this is a war game, I do not want them dead or permanently injured, but the threat must be made believable." Raven says as she navigates the halls and corridors of the place effortlessly.

"And these two?" The Archivist asks as the last of the group, he is well aware that Nightwing is almost walking backwards to look at him.

"They are the bait the others are coming for. But the same rules like last time apply." Raven says as she pushes open a large door, revealing a large circular room with a raised room in the center.

"Uh Rae, where are we?" Jinx asks.

"Storage room, once. This is going to be my command center." Raven says. "Trigon was all-knowing so he had no need for one; I am not, so I do. Archivist, you know what I am asking?" She says over her shoulder broadcasting her thoughts to the demon.

"Indeed Your Highness." He replies before he begins to chant and a blue glow surrounds him before a large blue map springs to life over the central area before several dots appears on the map.

"Good, teach me that." Raven says as she faces him, the two lock eyes for a few seconds. "Thank you, you may go." The demon bows wordlessly and retreats out the door as Raven floats into the air and begins manipulating the map, squeezing it down to size and has it spread out over the raised area instead of having it floating over the ground. To Nightwing he is reminded of the holographic projector in the cave. "Well come on, this isn't going to bite your face off." Raven says as the two are still standing halfway across the room.

"Er, ok." Jinx says as they move over to her.

"Look, we are here." Raven says, indicating with a finger at a mountain in the center. "The others are here." She continues, pointing out a small mass of yellow triangles. "All the red dots are groups of demons."

"That's a lot." Nightwing notes that their friends aren't far from several groups. "But no offence Rae, but Star, Cy and BB will know the jig is up when they meet those flame guys."

"Pyres, but yes I know and I am not bothering with sending them." Raven replies as she thinks with a hand under her chin.

"There are other things down here?" Nightwing asks.

"Lots." Jinx adds.

"Yup, look." Raven says as she points out a dot near their friends that enlarges the area and brings up an image of the group. "Fiends, the actual muscle of Trigon's armies, not as numerous as the Pyres, but they make up for it. There are fifteen in that group, and they are heading into trouble."

"Can you see who took up the challenge?" Nightwing asks, Raven nods and has the map zoom in on their friends, all busy arguing or looking around themselves. "Seems, I would have several lieutenants if I was leading."

"Not exactly good, I guess. Fractions will form and the group will break up." Raven says, noticing Cyborg is arguing with Cassandra and Donna.

"So how far do they have to travel?" Jinx asks.

"About 150km, don't worry, I am not going to throw everything at them, just an encounter from time to time." Raven says noticing the worry in Jinx.

"And when they get here? You aren't going to throw Thrakmar or that spider at them?" Jinx continues.

"No, I have something suitable in mind that I just learned."

"Thrakmar?" Nightwing asks. "And what are you planning?"

"Captain of Trigon's personal guard, had to beat him up when we got here." Raven replies. "You remember what Cyborg and the others told us they had to do to distract Trigon?"

"Fight versions of themselves?" Nightwing asks.

"Yup, when they get here, I plan on appearing saying they can have you two back depending on how they fare. Wonder if Fate can hear us?" She asks looking into the ceiling.

_The Watchtower:_

"She plans to animate the inherent evil in their beings." Fate announces. "A spell only Trigonan demons can perform."

"But most of them aren't evil." Flash points out.

"All beings have the capability to become evil." Zatanna adds. "Question is, if is this a good idea?"

"It is." Batman says. "Fate can you store this?" He gets a nod from the mage. "This will actually let us see what kind of people they could be or are."

"Hmm, depending on how this fares. Perhaps, we should petition for her to repeat this for the rest of us?" J'onn adds.

"If we do, we just need to be prepared to face the worst side of us." Shayera notes.

"Will be like facing the Justice Lord's again." Superman says.

"Perhaps; or something else." Batman adds. "Can we get sound on that?" He asks as the image shifts to the rescue team, focusing on the arguing pair of Cyborg and Donna.

"Alas not, but I can say that they are arguing over where to go." Fate replies. "Cyborg claims to be able to track Nightwing and Ms. Troy insists that his readings can't be trusted."

"If anything serious finds them like that, they will be caught off guard." John adds.

"Something already has." Fate says as the view swigs to the horizon, showing several shapes moving towards the viewers.

_Somewhere in the Eight Pit:_

"I'm telling you that you can't navigate by compass down here, North might as well be up for all we know!" Donna shouts into Cyborg's face.

"And I am telling you for the 6th time I don't navigate by magnetic poles!" He shouts back. "I am tracking Nightwing and Jinx's communicator signals from that mountain!" He continues while pointing at a distant storm crowned peak.

"And how would you know it's not something else?" Donna continues.

"Because I built the damn trackers!" Starfire and Beastboy, Herald and Bumble Bee can see he is going to turn violent if Donna begins accusing his equipment of being faulty.

"Blow a tune or this is going to turn ugly." Beastboy whispers to Herald who nods and blows a long clear node without opening a portal, the two sides stare at him. "Guys, chill. This isn't going to help Rob or Jinx."

"Guys?" Cassandra asks with a dangerous tone in her voice boring holes in Beastboy.

"Wha? You know what I mean." Beastboy gives her a misunderstanding look.

"Really, explain your words then." Cassandra continues while folding her arms over her chest.

"He doesn't need to." Bumble Bee adds. "All right everyone! Seems we have a problem!" She yells, getting everyone's attention. "We are all in a strange place and apparently only one who has an idea of where to start looking."

"His scanners cannot be trusted in this place!" Donna yells.

"Maybe not, but you don't have the faintest idea of where to start, do you?" Cyborg challenges.

"We split up and start looking!" Donna yells. "Come on lets go people!"

"Hold up!" Kyle adds as a big green hand appears before Donna. "We don't know where we are, another planet or hell? For all we know the first living thing we see here could tear us apart. No one goes anywhere alone down here."

"Are you a coward Kyle Rayner?" Cassandra shouts.

"Maybe, but we Lanterns are picked because we can overcome great fear, but I am not stupid either." The Lantern growls back locking eyes with the younger blond.

"Everyone wanting to find them fast, go now, we will pick up the rest after we do!" Donna yells before flying off into one direction, Cassandra in another, a long line of dust announces Kid Flash's departure as Supergirl heads in another direction. Hiking off on foot is Ravager and Kid Devil, while a young dark-skinned boy with dreadlocks form two electrical disks flies off followed by a blue and black armored youth. Last to leave is Thunder, following his ever impulsive brother; Lightning.

Leaving Cyborg, Beastboy, Starfire, Bumble Bee, Herald, Superboy, Red Star, Green Lantern, Tempest, Bushido and a green skinned girl with red hair and wearing something that looks like J'onn's costume, both her and Tempest look queasy.

"So much for teamwork." Bumblebee sighs. "Should we go after them?"

"We should. But then we are chasing them as well." Cyborg says. "Lantern, can you verify what is about 150km in that direction?" He asks pointing at the peak again, the man nods and forms a pair of huge green binoculars.

"Looks like a fortress ruin, I can see shapes moving around on it." He replies.

"We are letting them go comrade Cyborg?" Red Star asks.

"We have to prioritize Red, I have to assume the others know what they are doing and we don't know what state Nightwing or Jinx is in." Cyborg replies.

"Taking charge Sparky?" Bumble Bee asks.

"Not if we are going to get even more divided down here." He replies. "Anyone mind that I call the shots?" He asks, getting no contestants. "Ok, I know most of you, but who are you?" He asks, having noticed the green girl.

"I am Miss Martian, like J'onn, I don't do well in this heat." The girl replies in an awfully sweet voice, like she had been watching too many commercials aimed at children.

"Ok, Tempest is not doing too well either, but welcome..." Cyborg says.

"Uhh guys…Watch out!" Beastboy yells in time for the group to become alert of the fiend's storming towards them.

"Good ol' Cyborg." Nightwing says with a sense of pride that their old friend is taking charge. "But your sisters seem to be hot heads." He adds.

"They seem to be into the whole lone wolf kinda thing, even my Bart." Jinx adds.

"And they will fall as them." Raven replies coolly, allowing a note of annoyance to show that she did prefer them staying together. "Excuse me, I need to send something their way." She says as she goes quiet and closes her eyes as she moves her hands from point to point on the map, pointing at the wayward heroes. "They're, by my estimation we should be receiving a few humbled heroes in the near future."

"How?" Nightwing asks. "You aren't going to hurt them are you?"

"Hurt them?" Raven asks in surprise before covering up. "Yes I am going to hurt them, not permanently, but they won't come quietly and we have better things to do to search the Pit for them."

"Rae…?!" Nightwing exclaims before a finger is shoved in his face.

"No! This is a League request and I will carry it out and those who think they can survive in a place like this alone, will be taught a lesson. Here the only thing a lone wolf does is die alone." Raven snaps.

"This isn't a game Rae! They could get hurt!" He counters while Jinx backs away.

"That is what I intend to teach them." Raven replies flatly, he just glares at her before stomping away towards the door that slams shut in his face.

"Open the door Raven." He says without turning.

"No, you should think. How many times have **you**, beaten the rest of us over the head that we are only as strong as the group?" Raven asks with staring at his back.

"And you have beaten me over the head many times that I still thought that I had to do everything alone. Let me out." He continues before the door opens and he strides out, while Raven sighs quietly while rubbing her temples.

"Jinx?" She asks without looking.

"Yeah?" The pink head replies timidly.

"Should I just call off everything and let them come here?"

"Too late I think, this may not be by the book exercise, but this is a trial for the League and it isn't a solo act as I remember? And let's face it, not all are cut out for working as a team."

"I know." Raven sighs. "But why do I feel like he suddenly doesn't agree?"

"Rob never wanted to see anyone hurt, not even during training, only himself." Jinx replies. "Don't take this the wrong way, but Rob is a control freak, a lot more than the fat guy was and this is beyond his control." She continues.

"You're saying he doesn't trust me with this?" Raven asks, feeling slightly wounded at the thought.

"No… well, kinda… perhaps…" Jinx stammers before taking a calming breath. "He might not like this because you have sidelined him, and he is left with nothing to do."

"Something tells me this is going to get complicated later on." Raven sighs. "But thanks for being honest about it." Jinx smiles back at the weak one sent her.

"No problem Rae. Anyways, aren't you letting one of your 'captives' escape?" Raven smirks at this mention, remembering something.

"Dude, I'd take unfriendly Tamaranians any day!" Beastboy exclaims as the group takes stock of themselves after the fight, they all have a few scratches and bruises from the encounter but without serious injuries, Superboy included, something that had surprised him.

"I also believe that this was too close for the comfort." Starfire adds. "But am I alone in thinking that we have seen something like these before?" She asks looking at the out cold monstrosity lying in front of her.

"Aww man, you're right." Cyborg says as he looks at what she has noticed, the four eyes.

"You know these creeps?" Herald asks.

"Actually I see something familiar about them as well." Kyle adds.

"Same here." Superboy continues.

"Planning on letting the rest of us in on this info Sparky?" Bumblebee asks.

"Ok, most of you know Rae is the daughter of a demon and all that?" Cyborg asks, getting a few nods. "Well, I figure we are in the place her old man used to hang out in and these." He says while poking the demon on the ground with his foot. "Are his."

"Erm, not to put a damper on this, but what if **he** is back?" Beastboy asks.

"Trigon was swimming a river last we saw, but we will beat him down again if he is back." Cyborg says confidently. "Another possibility is that all of this is someone using us to get at Rae, but she isn't here, so it's up to us. GL, can you get us some transport?"

"Sure thing." Kyle replies before forming a big green school bus. "All aboard."

"Cheer up Nightwing." Jinx says to the man in the black bubble floating next to her, he is shouting something and banging his fists against the barrier, but no sound is making its way through and hadn't after the first minute.

"He's as bad a Cyborg after losing a game to Beastboy." Raven notes as they walk towards the courtyard, after Raven's announcement that the first had arrived. "Or when the T-Car got scratched." She adds after a moment.

"So any idea who you got first?" Jinx asks.

"First one was Bart actually, had him get stuck in quicksand before a mage picked him up. But almost everyone has been delivered by now, only missing the kids in the bus and they will be here in a matter of moments." Raven replies. "You are still ok about this? I can't guarantee it won't hurt."

"Hey I am used to that sort of thing. Just do it." Jinx shrugs.

"Just nod if you at least agree with this part, it isn't a death match." Raven asks the man in the bubble who just fumes at her. "Please." She sighs. Inside the bubble the man stares for a full five seconds before sighing and nods as well. "Thank you. Brace yourselves." Raven says relieved as she lets him out the bubble before her eyes blaze and the mark of Scath appears on the ground under the two.

To Jinx and Nightwing it happens in an instant, but it feels like they stepped on an exposed power cable for a brief second before they are thrown on the ground.

"Ow, I take that back." Jinx groans as she sits up and rubs her head with closed eyes for a second. "Whoa, is that..."

"Should have stayed with the H.I.V.E. instead of going with that speeding fashion disaster." The gray and black version of Jinx replies with glowing red eyes and a wicked smirk, on echoed by the somewhat more wicked looking Nightwing double. "Or better yet, left those bozo's and gone solo."

"You keep quiet." Raven warns, getting the two copies to shut up while she offers a hand to Nightwing who just growls it off.

"Is that what Trigon did?" He asks, studying his double.

"Whatever monster you hide, whatever dark thoughts you may have had, this is the embodiment of those." Raven says.

"You can call me Deathwing and I can't wait to get to work on you." Nightwing's double says while showing his pointed teeth and the long lolling tongue inside.

"Ew." Jinx notes. "And everyone is like this?"

"Pretty much." Raven shrugs as she changes shape to the one she carried Jinx and Nightwing off with. "Let's see what other monsters hide in our friends." She says before turning around and marches towards the exit, followed by the two clones.

"Wonder what kind of monster hides under your skin Raven?" Nightwing whispers as he and Jinx stay back as agreed upon, the words sting Raven but she keeps moving.

"I have a very bad feeling about this." Kyle says as he lands the bus in the courtyard, having spotted the group of dazed heroes stumbling about in it.

"Get them and pull back!" Cyborg shouts recognizing a trap.

"And leave your friends in my care?" A deep rumbling voice asks, drawing their attention to the doorway, spotting the large winged demon.

"Superboy get him!" Beastboy yells and the boy of steel races towards the demon before being repelled by a web of black magic that sends him to the ground. The net expands and quickly has everyone dangling in it like flies.

"Now that you have quieted down and woken up." The demon says as the dazed regain their senses. "There are two groups of people here, the group that might have succeeded because it stuck together and the group of people that failed miserably because they believed they were stronger alone."

"Cut the crap! Who are you and where are our friends?!" Beastboy yells, quickly echoed by a few others, getting a chuckle out of the demon.

"You make demands but you are in no position to negotiate. But I am feeling amused, I have what I wanted from your friends. Deathwing? Hex?" It asks over its shoulder as the two doubles appear, getting stares out of Cyborg, Beastboy and Starfire. "You can have your friends back, if you amuse me."

"How?" Bumblebee asks with clenched teeth.

"You will see." The demon says as its eyes glow, the rune appears under the heroes again and the effect is over in a flash of red, dispelling the web.

"That is so not right." Conner says as he looks at the figure hovering in front of him, it has his face, but he is bald and wearing Superman's costume, but with an L instead of an S over his chest.

"Oh no." Miss Martian says as she locks eyes with the White Martian in front of her brandishing is claws, licking its pointed teeth while the segmented tail whips about its legs.

"Hey that's one of my bad guys!" Kyle says slightly offended at the brute in front of him with the curling horns, star map cape and veiled face.

_"Ronin."_ Bushido growls at the armored samurai with the red eyes in front of him.

"Ok, she has an axe and I don't." Cassandra growls at her double, who indeed has a double headed axe and a strange helmet with a star on its forehead.

"You should all know these people, go." The demon says before the courtyard erupts in a huge brawl with heroes tangling with wickedly smiling or verbally abusing clones. Deathwing and Hex are soon thrown into the fray as well as they get tackled by Jinx and Nightwing from behind. Raven remains still as she watches and waits.

_The Watchtower:_

"J'onn did you know?" Diana asks as they study Miss Martin battle with her monstrous double.

"Yes, she is a rare case of a White Martian having abandoned their warlike society. I learned about her during my travels, a Martian defending Australia. I traveled to find her, excited that I may not be alone any more. Yet I found her masquerading as a Green Martian, she was afraid people would reject her in her true form, that you see now." J'onn says.

"Cassandra may have issues of her own." Fate mentions getting Diana's attention. "Her double repeatedly chastises her for not taking an offer made by Ares and that it is not too late."

"What?!" Diana shouts, but Fate remains unfazed.

"They are all mentioning doubts and old wounds and fears." He continues.

"They are at a stalemate." Batman says as he studies the entire scene.

"No, they are losing." John counters, having seen the real people were getting knocked down more than the doubles.

"Wait, look." Superman says, spotting something.

_The Eight Pit:_

"Star! BB! SWITCH!" Cyborg yells, finally having gotten close enough to the two to address them, like the first time trading partners with each other, some of the others see this as well.

"Cassie, catch!" Donna yells before sending her double tumbling towards the blond who sends hers the other way.

As if a ripple effect takes place, everyone begins switching opponents. Without the psychological edge and unfamiliar opponents, the dark versions all begin to fall, Nightwing's, Kyle's and Superboy's needing several heroes to defeat. But eventually the last of the dark doubles fall, only for them all to disappear in red energy, returning to their originators.

"Worked like a charm." Cyborg says before everyone's attention is drawn to the solitary figure applauding them from the stairs as it slowly descends.

"Well done, you have completed my challenge and regained what is yours." It says right before it is finding itself the target of every ranged weapon from the heroes, but not under fire. "Hmm."

"What was all this for?" Cyborg asks. "Trigon tried that as well, and failed."

"This was a test." The demon replies. "But if I were you, I wouldn't do anything rash. I am actually a friend and I am keeping those at bay." It says point a finger into the air. Most of the heroes look into the dark skies, spotting a huge swarm of Reaver's circling the fortress while the eight members of the Guard glare at the heroes from the ruined spires.

"Who are you?" Starfire asks. "Why does a 'friend' threaten us so?"

"Because Star, I was asked to." Raven says as she lets her disguise disappear. "Let's go home for your evaluation, shall we?" She says before her shadow expands rapidly, swallowing them and takes them all away.

_The Watchtower:_

"Rae, what the hell?!" Beastboy asks, as they all seem pretty sour about the whole realization.

"You could have told us." Donna grumbles.

"You should have told, at least us." Cassandra adds, Raven was suspecting she felt like she had something to prove, but Raven can feel the room is filling with anger.

"Everyone, this was a League sanctioned event to test you," Raven shouts loud enough for everyone to hear. "I will apologize for any injuries you may have received, but not for the act." This is enough for most of the Titans to sigh and withdraw.

"You should have told your Sisters." Cassandra continues.

"No I shouldn't." Raven replies flatly. "You, sister, will be judged equally to everyone else in this room." Raven can feel the blonds' fury rise as she opens her mouth to snap a reply as the door behind Raven opens, admitting Superman to the hall.

"Well done everyone who participated in this exercise." He says while nodding to Raven who passes him and leaves the hall. "Today's evaluations are over, but we have a few questions we need to ask the following…" He says as the door closes behind her.

"Well, if nothing else, almost everyone in that room hates me now." Raven sighs, sensing Batman behind her.

"Donna and Cassandra believe they have a free ride with Diana." Batman says as he walks up next to her.

"Do they?"

"No, she is going to have words with both before they leave the station. So will several others of the 'parenting' heroes." Batman replies.

"Nightwing?" Raven asks without letting anything show in her voice.

"No, he is old enough to act on his own." He says. "But his behavior leaves something to be desired." He adds.

"And me?" Raven asks.

"You weren't being evaluated." He says shortly. "But some of the others are considering having you repeat the last spell, according to Fate, only your kind can cast it."

"If you want me to." Raven shrugs. "But it isn't painless for those it affects. Will you need me anymore for today?" She asks as they enter the arrival hall.

"No. There's an assignment waiting for you on the computer when you get back." Raven nods at this as the two part when they reach an exit leading deeper into the station. "They don't hate you." He says after her before she turns a corner.


	43. Broken Trust

_The Batcave:_

"Welcome back." Raven says without looking up from the computer in the cave as Nightwing and Batman walk up the staircase from below. Nightwing doesn't reply before heading into the wardrobe, getting a raised eyebrow from Batman along the way. "Beats me." Raven shrugs noticing out of a corner of her eye the reaction.

"You two ok to handle the city this weekend?" He asks quietly.

"Sure, why shouldn't we be?" She asks in the same volume. "Besides, he will have time to cool off." She shrugs before directing him to the almost finished assignments. "What class is this from?"

"First year of college, too easy?" He asks.

"My knowledge of math at this level is not that great." She admits. "But the book you left is readable."

"Good Alfred will have dinner ready by the time you are done." Bruce replies, noting down he had to begin looking the internet for finished assignments just in case she was reading off them, Raven nods and continues working.

The next day is Thursday and a little odd one for Raven, who notes that Richard doesn't talk to or hardly even look at her when they are in the same room, but she shrugs it off as being leftover emotions from yesterday. During the afternoon she has lessons in aerobics and crime scene analysis, while Richard heads into the city.

After her lessons were done, she meditates on the subject of Richard and other things, like her own feelings. She is especially interested in why one of her emotions seemed to get agitated after she woke up the second time in the cell a week ago, again the situation in Tala's mind returned, sighting she reasons that some part of her might like the situation and that it is just another addition to her 'why I am not like everyone else' list.

Turning to the subject of Richard she began dissecting their whole relationship, she knows he has feelings for her, strong feelings and a week ago he was so close to voicing them before Alfred had walked in. How old is that feeling she wonders, did it appear at her arrival on Charlton Street? Was it there years ago in the Tower? Is it still there now with his sudden attitude change? She just can't tell, Richard has always been good at hiding his feelings when he wanted to.

And then there are her own feelings towards him, is she just interested in him as a very good friend or is the wall she built up after Malchior coming down and she is not realizing she may be in love with him. Does she even know what love really is anymore? Does she really want to commit herself to a person with her heart? Could she?

The night after Malchior had betrayed her, she had decided she would never be hurt like that again even if it cost her own happiness. She would be strong, cold and alone while being happy for the people around her who found their true love.

Has Richard melted that last part of the glacier and is she ready to try again? Or is she really just wishing for something that isn't there, maybe he really just sees her as a sister he cares deeply for? Finally realizing she isn't meditating at all, she resorts to ask him after Bruce and the others were gone, it would give them time to normalize in case she was wrong.

"Kinda early they had to go?" Raven asks as she, and Richard, are having breakfast in the kitchen after the other left in the Rolls Royce, it is still a little early but the day is looking to be equally abysmal as the rain had poured down when they left.

"Figure Bruce wants to shop or be seen at sights before the race tomorrow." Richard shrugs staring into his oatmeal, Raven's hope drops a bit, realizing he is still grumpy, which seems odd since he had made for both of them.

"Richard?" She asks.

"Hmm?" He replies through a mouthful.

"Was yesterday really that bad?" She asks as her stomach does an involuntary twist, finally he looks up at her.

"It was a mistake that you decided to add your own elements to the test, especially elements that could have resulted in serious injury. We trained in controlled environments where the worst that could happen was a sore body part, what you did was to send them into a battlefield they weren't prepared to handle." He replies as her vision blurs for a second and her left side seems a little heavy.

"No one shoved them into the portal Richard, all who were there, went under their own free will. And you should know how I would take it if any of them got seriously injured." She replies before taking another scoop.

"That's the problem Rae, I don't know anymore." He says as her vision blur again this time for longer and she blinks a few times to clear it. "You aren't the girl I once knew and lived with, not even the girl I once pulled out of hell." He says as he stops eating, watching her intently as her eyes begin to grow unfocused. "I won't say that they are all bad changes, but some of them I don't care so much for." He says as she struggles to get to her feet, realizing something was wrong.

"Y-you... drugged… me." Raven heaves before collapsing on the counter, turning over the rest of her breakfast into her hair before sliding down onto the floor.

"Yes." Richard shrugs at her still open eyes. "Bruce apparently won't give you the iron glove treatment, so I guess I will have to." It's the last she hears before darkness claims her.

She comes to herself again in the same darkness, she can feel she is very uncomfortably being suspended over the ground in her ankles and wrists; again she is dressed in her costume, but this time with something spherical object lodged in her mouth that refuses to budge. She has only just had time to realize this before an electrical current runs through her, breaking her other thoughts for several moments after as she breathes heavily through her nose, eventually catching a scent in the air as her ears hear slight hissing sound.

"_Great, blind, gagged and suspended in a room filling with gas by manacles with a current in them. Richard is dead when I get out!" _She swears internally as she finds out she can't make more than muffled whines and groans before setting to work. Getting interrupted every so often by the current that returns at set intervals.

After what feels like several hours later she is angry; she can't break out of this, her arms simply can't get far enough back to try and yank her thumbs out of their sockets. Plus she has realized that if she did, she has no idea how far down the floor is, getting both her arms free could result in braining herself on the concrete floor. She had noticed other things as well, she is sweating in the heat in the cell and the gas is making her edgy. And still the damn current runs through her every so often.

Later still, she is worried, she had tried for a period of signaling defeat by finger gestures in what she hopes is Morse code for S.O.S. But nothing has happened yet, nothing. Her body is straining to remain in shape it seems, and she is still sweating in the heat. She can feel her head beginning to cultivate a headache and her throat is dry.

Again the current wakes her up, she is scared now, not just worried, really scared. She had decided enough was enough some time ago and she wanted out, only to discover none of her power's worked, she can't even change shape. Even her empathy seems off, as she can hear someone's quiet breathing near her, but not sense anything. She had tried communication with the breather, but nothing came of it, it is really freaking her out.

The damn breathing is still there and she is close to losing control of her mind and her body completely, Fear has swollen to inhuman proportions in her head and none of the others have succeeded in stopping her. She had even tried crying to get someone to get her out, but she couldn't even manage it as the dehydration takes its toll on her.

"Hello, Ravie-poo, time for some fun." At the sound of the Jokers voice and the sudden sting and a current passing through her, Raven does the one thing left to her; scream.

"I must say that I have missed old England." Alfred says as he steps out of the car in the garage in the late afternoon before letting Bruce out, Tim already having gotten out on his own and entered by the door leading to the kitchen after unlocking it.

"It was a good trip." Bruce agrees as he steps out. While in England, Alfred had visited a few places dear to the old man's heart while Tim and Bruce watched the formula one. "Wonder if the two have managed to sort everything out?"

"I would have thought young people only waited for opportunities like this when their parents went out?" Alfred asks with amusement in his voice, Bruce smirks as well thought he would hate to be arriving in the middle of what Tim had suggested the two could be doing.

"They are sensible people, I hope." Bruce says before entering his house, finding it oddly quiet somehow.

"Erm, are they out or something?" Tim asks as he appears in the doorway to the main hall, when Richard was left alone, one could usually hear him playing music at an earth shaking volume wherever you went in the house, except the cave.

Bruce shrugs before crossing the floor, stopping when his fine leather shoes stick to the tiled floor, putting a hand on the counter, he noticed that that surface is also sticky.

"Odd. Richard doesn't usually spill and leave it." He says quietly to himself, a part of him is worried that something might have happened, but besides the spill nothing seems out of place, there's not even any dishes left in the sink. "They aren't in the garden?" He asks.

"One sec." Tim says before running off before coming back. "Nope, the garden is empty. And no notes on the counter about being away. Could be in the cave?"

"Better go check." Bruce says as Alfred enters as well, having deposited their luggage in the room separating the kitchen and the garage. "Alfred, seems someone has left a spill here, we will be right back." He says before following after Tim.

"Something is just not right." Bruce says as the two enter the oddly quiet cave. "Hmm Dicks bike is gone." He notes.

"I dunno, but it's been some time since either of them has been at the computer." Tim notes at the droppings on the computer this has Bruce's attention and he quickly walks over and brushes the keys, staring it up, finding it in slumber mode.

"What is going on?" Bruce asks himself as he eyes the big screen, only finding a note about a rave party Friday night and a note about possible drug trafficking.

"Uh, Bruce." Tim says as he directs his attention to one of the smaller screens to his left, displaying a single strung up figure hanging limply in chains.

"Get Alfred! NOW!" Bruce bellows before storming down the stairs, quickly arriving at the cave cells and races to the last one on the right, the only cell he had that was made, but never tested, for metahumans along with containing a number of very unpleasant features. Finding the control panel his eye's go wide at the information displayed on it before opening the door. His first step inside almost has him step out again involuntarily at the smell and gas that assaults him, he has a few times arrived to the same smell where humans were left unattended for days and it horrifies him to find the same smell in his cave.

Grinding his teeth and holding his breath, he steps inside quickly disengaging the shackles with the switch besides the door and catches the light and bony figure of Raven before quickly carrying her back out and shuts the door behind him to block out the smell.

He works quickly and removes the gag in her mouth before removing the mask that makes a tearing sound as it parts from her skin, finding her mouth to be stuck open and by the looks of it, almost completely dry. She is alive, her slight but frantic breathing tells him that, but he can't look her in the eyes, that have shrunken into her head, she is staring at him with fear leaking through them.

"Sir?...Oh my lord!" Alfred exclaims from the door, quickly stopping Tim from entering. "Is she?"

"Severely dehydrated and affected by fear toxin, get the equipment set up by the water tank." Bruce says, having moved into Batman mode. "GO!" he bellows as the two aren't moving.

_Several hours later:_

Bruce is pacing back and forth on the memorial platform, Tim and Alfred know that a single sound could send him over the edge, so they keep their conversation to whispering while watching Raven float sedated in the water tank usually reserved for victims of Mr. Freeze, dressed in fresh underwear after she was cleaned up. A small tube is being led through the breathing mask on her face and down her throat on the inside, dripping water into her along with drops of nourishment.

She has lost almost 9kg of her body weight and is dangerously close to suffering lasting damage, if the fear gas had not already done that to her mind.

Bruce had been the only one to watch the compressed video from the last three days. He had seen Richard drug Raven's breakfast then drag her off to the cell before leaving her alone, going about his day without caring she was there. At nighttime he had checked up on her from the computer where he had also brought up the rave notion and headed off, and never came back.

To say the least, Bruce is furious at his adopted son. He had said it time and again to the two boys, if they were using the cells, no one is left in them with no one else in the house and at least one other was to know about it. And the cell Richard had put Raven in was not to be used without Bruce's expressed permission, and no one in it should be without supervision. Richard had completely disregarded all of this and put Raven in a cell she couldn't escape from, set the temperature up to rival that of a warm summers day, let fear toxin continuously leak into the cell and send a current through her every 15th minute and just left her for three days.

"Keep an eye on her; I am going to find him." Bruce announces suddenly breaking his silence. "Call me if anything happens." Both Tim and Alfred know's Nightwing is now officially on the same level as Guy Gardener with Bruce, and they don't pity him when Bruce finds him.

_Gotham South Docks:_

"Hey buddy, ya can't sleep here, ye'll catch a cold like that." The bearded homeless man says as he pokes the figure of a young man, dressed in a leather jacket and blue pants, lying in the trash heap with the butt of his whiskey bottle with the rain and thunder echoes from above.

The figure just groans as a black shape descends from above, causing the bum to fall over in surprise. "You're coming with me." Batman growls as he picks up the figure in the heap, throwing him over his shoulder.

"Hey… hey, hey! He's not done nothin'!" The bum says as he tries to get up.

"Get to the shelter Harry." Batman grumbles before disappearing into the night sky.

_The Batcave:_

Richard groans as he opens his eyes, that the first thing he sees is Batman's silhouette a part of his mind tells him that he is deep trouble.

"I want an explanation, and it had better be good!" The man growls as Richard recognizes the cave.

"I was tracking a dealer at a rave when someone jammed something into my back, guess I got doped." He sighs tiredly, he doesn't get a chance to react before Batman has grabbed him by the front of his jacket and hoisted him into the air and onto the ground before forcibly dragging him over to the platform under the parking platform for the cars and bikes.

"I want an explanation for this!" Batman hisses as he drags Richard before the water filled cylinder, still containing the wrinkle-skinned Raven. Richard struggles to get to stand on his own feet before replying.

"I was proving to her the very words she used on me yesterday; no one is stronger than the team. I wanted her to know that it applies even to her after that stunt she pulled off in the Pit!" Getting Batman to hold Richard up in front of him again.

"I leave you for three days and I find her half dead in a cell she could not break out of! A cell I told you never to use without my permission!" Batman roars. "I have seen the videos, how you drugged her, stuffed her into that cell and just left her there! Had she been sick from the dose you gave her or the dehydration you could have killed her!" It dawns on Richard now what Bruce is saying.

"Wait, three days?!" Richard asks as he is allowed to stand.

"Three days without food, water or sleep." Batman growls. "She's lost 8.68kg of her bodyweight in water, her back, shoulders and hip were stretched to the breaking point due to the position, she even dislocated her left shoulder in there and God only knows what the fear toxin has made her go through!"

"I…" Richard interrupts getting silenced by a palm slamming into the side of his head, sending him to the ground, leaving him staring up at Batman.

"You are right, a team relies on the trust of the other members… and by your actions; you have lost mine, Tim's and hers." Batman says. "You need time to think over what you have done, you get one conversation with her." Batman says to Richards widening eyes before he is dragged down and pushed into one of the vacant cells before being left in darkness.

Time passes slowly for Richard who just stares off into the darkness as he waits for the inevitable; ignoring the one meal he notices being offered him before the door is opened again by Batman.

"She is awake." He says as Richard gets up.

"I… I'm sorry." Richard whispers as he passes him.

"It is not me you have to apologize to." Batman says as he walks behind him up to the medical bed, finding Raven in it, still looking frail, but the look in her eyes could freeze water as she stares at Richard.

"Raven, I…" Richard starts.

"Don't!" Raven hisses with a dry voice. "I trusted you, I was even sure I was actually falling in love with you! And this is what you do to me?!" She says in a voice no louder than a whisper before clutching her throat in pain. "I thought we were friends?" She whispers obviously breaking apart on the inside before turning away from them as a chill runs down Richard's spine.

Richard is led back to his room, where he just sits down on his bed, staring holes in the wall in front of him, "What have I done?"

Later, Alfred and Tim who are in the kitchen, see the red taillights of a motorcycle speeding off down the driveway, prompting them both to head up to Richards's room, finding it empty with a note on the bed. They both read it once before heading down to the cave and hands it to Bruce, who sighs looking at the sleeping woman in the bed next to him.

_I am leaving you all this note; because I know I cannot stay. I can't give you a decent explanation for my actions other than my own damn pride demanded I do it, I never intended it to go this far, I never wanted to hurt her. But I have, and for that I can never forgive myself, much less ask any of you to do so._

_Bruce I don't know if I will ever come back or if I will ever be welcome in your house again, but I wish you all the best in case we never see each other again. Tim, you are a brother to me and I hope that you one day will be the man I have failed to become. Alfred, I will always remember the lessons you taught me how to act and behave, now more than ever when I failed to abide by them. Raven, I will understand if you will never speak to me again, I know you must hate me now on the same level as the dragon and Slade and I deserve it. But for what it's worth, I love you and I am truly sorry._

_Yours in disgrace Richard John Grayson _

"She will need Diana." Bruce sighs after reading it. "Alfred will you pass me the phone?"

"Bruce, talk to me." Diana says as she goes over the photos in the kitchen, she would have to settle with them till Raven wakes up again, Bruce isn't sure how much her system can handle at the moment.

"Richard, was… not happy about the trip they took into the Pit." Bruce says while staring into the table. "I am not sure if it was because of the lack of control he had or if because he was sidelined by her… But this weekend, Alfred suggested that I take him and Tim away, to let Raven and Richard figures out their feelings they had for each other. Richard had other plans and wanted her to ask to be rescued. On the morning we left, he drugged her, dressed her up in her costume, gagged and suspended her in a cell in the cave where her powers were taken away from her. In the cell she wasn't allowed to sleep and fear gas was slowly filling the cell, while he went about his day, even leaving the cave in search of a drug dealer. I have pieced together that happened, while dressed in civilian he approached the dealer, but he had been made and was continuously drugged for three days before being discarded in a trash pile, leaving Raven alone in the cell to dehydrate to what you see." He says without meeting her stare, instead favoring the table surface.

"And he is, where?" Diana asks in a hard edge in her voice.

"Gone, I thought he would be man enough to face up to what he did, but he ran, leaving this behind." Bruce says handing her the folded note, which she reads before sighing.

"You have talked to her?" Diana asks putting down the letter while rubbing her eyes.

"The two times she was up to it." Bruce says. "She is confused, unsure if it was punishment for some failure on her part. But most of all she doesn't understand why her closest friend would do this to her. So far, she doesn't know about the letter or him leaving."

"What will you do?" She continues.

"Depends on her and how much of an effect it will have on her, but I will not stand in the way if she wishes to leave."

"And if I wish her to?" Diana asks, Bruce is wounded but doesn't let it show, for Diana to suggest this is showing he has lost her trust in the matter.

"I will not stop you, only urge you to listen to her wishes." He says, still boring holes in the desk.

"And I will. What are you going to tell the others?"

"That Nightwing is gone to parts unknown after causing a near fatal situation in the cave for Raven." Bruce replies. "I won't go into details, she doesn't deserve that."

"You are right." Diana sighs. "Let me know when she is awake."

"I will." Bruce says as she leaves the kitchen.

"Sister?" Diana asks as she approaches the bed in the cave.

"D… Diana?" Raven asks weakly before she turns slightly to regard her visitor.

"It is, I came as soon as I heard. How are you feeling?" Diana asks as she takes the seat Bruce had been occupying most of the time.

"Confused…hollow somehow." Raven replies. "I just don't know why he did it?"

"Neither do we." Diana admits.

"Again I felt prepared to open my heart to someone and again they turn on me." Raven whispers to the ceiling.

"I cannot imagine what it must be like." Diana says. "But I know no one deserved what you went through. If you want me to, I will find him."

"Doesn't matter, he is gone from here." Raven waves her off.

"You know?" Diana asks.

"I can no longer sense him in the house over us or anywhere near here, but I severed the bond I had formed with him." Diana nods at this.

"He is, he left a letter, Bruce has it if you want to read it." Raven nods as well.

"How long does Bruce say I am stuck here?"

"Not a second longer than you wish to." Diana says quickly.

"I meant in bed." Raven says with a weak smile. "I won't let one man, close to my heart as he was, let his rogue actions break me where Ares failed, not now."

"Spoken like a true Amazon, you make us proud." Diana says with a smile as she gives Raven a gentle hug, which Raven returns with a weak one of her own. "Bruce says it will take perhaps two weeks for you to be back to full strength."

"Ok. And how long do you reckon it will take for the League to decide on the trials?" Raven asks while Diana sits back down.

"End of the week, some are more up for debate than others, Cassandra included."

"Figured she would. Would you get Bruce down here, I have something I need to ask him." Diana nods before leaving, returning a few moments later with the man.

"You had something to ask me?" He says.

"A suggestion, when you announced to us that you wanted to try all the Titans and unaffiliated heroes, you didn't seem to have a backup plan for those who failed." Raven starts as Diana sits down while Bruce remains standing.

"And you took the others away to talk about it?" He asks.

"Yes. Many of these heroes are loners in the field and aren't used to operate alongside others, something that the League is built around. If we just let them go again they will continue in the same track and not learn how to act as a team, know that there are others than themselves fighting, that sort of thing. What we agreed on was that this was the kind of thing the Teen Titans taught and perhaps should continue to teach." Raven says.

"You want to reform the Titans?" Diana asks.

"We agreed that it would be a good place to teach young heroes about being on a team, making them better candidates for the League the next time they get asked." Raven continues.

"It is a good idea, but there are factors like team dynamics, leadership, location and such. But you haven't asked me anything yet." He notes.

"At the time, I was thinking that one of us older Titans would lead or something, but in case they all pass, I will ask you to perhaps let Tim do it?" Bruce looks at her in surprise. "We saw some at his age on the station and he has the skills. We haven't planned this very far, but I do realize that not everyone can live and work in the same building 24/7 like we did." Bruce regards her for a long minute turning over the idea over in his head several times.

"It's a good idea, when you have the details let me know, we will supply you with a list of candidates before that." He says.

"But will you have the time for such an undertaking?" Diana asks.

"I was thinking about that at least the West Team rotates to spend time with the new team during weekends, letting them govern themselves during weekdays or something like that." Raven replies.

"We will have a look at it, but you need your rest and water." Bruce says, getting a nod from her.

"That I do, but if you don't mind, I hear he left a letter behind?" Bruce nods at her and unfolds it after pulling it out of his jacket pocket and hands it to her before guiding Diana away, Raven sighs unhappily after reading it, her mind even more confused than it was before.

_The Watchtower, a week and a half later:_

"So you made it? Congratulations." Raven says as she meets with Cyborg, Starfire and Beastboy on the satellite in one of the smaller meeting rooms.

"Hey Rae and thanks." Cyborg waves with his feet on the table while leaning back in his seat.

"Yes I would also like to thank you." Starfire says as she floats over the floor, smiling broadly.

"Yeah thanks, though I thought we wouldn't make it at one point." Beastboy says as Raven enters and closes the door behind her. "So only Rob is missing now?" Raven ducks her head slightly at the mention a week and a half after the incident, she is still 2kg short of her old weight, but her cloak hides it.

"I have to be the bringer of bad news, Nightwing isn't coming. A week and a half ago he caused an accident in the cave that could have proved fatal. Batman was furious and Nightwing left that night, we haven't heard from him since." Raven sighs as she sits down with the stacks of paper in front of her.

"Dude?! You serious?" Beastboy asks, getting a nod from her while the others stare in surprise at her.

"You aren't going to tell us what?" Cyborg asks after a few seconds.

"Yes, please elaborate, why did friend Nightwing choose to leave?" Starfire continues.

"I can't and we won't find him unless he wants to be found again." Raven sighs.

"Don't you two have some kinda bond you could use?" Beastboy asks.

"I… severed it." Raven admits getting more stares. "Look it's not really a subject I can talk about right now. So should we see who might be good candidates?" She suggests, Cyborg nods while looking at her the other two just shrug. "Ok, first candidate is Zachary Zatara, magician, can only affect inanimate objects and magical beings, the reason he failed was that he did not show any team spirit, actually proved a danger to one of them." Raven says as she passes the files around, all with Zachary's file on top."

"Yeah, heard he was the only one that didn't join us for the special mission." Cyborg says as he browses the file as the others read it more intently. "And that he sent you and Kid Devil to hell?"

"He did, resulting in Kid Devil getting clobbered by a group of those demons you met initially in the Pit and I got soaked in sulfur." Raven says. "Personally, I think he needs to be mentored about having powers and an attitude adjustment, but I am not sure a new team could or should do that."

"I agree and should he continue to prove a danger to his friends, it would prove most unfortunate." Starfire adds.

"But if he is a good mage, couldn't he be taught to show more consideration?" Beastboy asks.

"He could, but preferably he should be in this business to save lives when they need saving, not when he feels like it, which seems to be part of the problem." Cyborg replies. "Or am I reading it wrong?"

"Zatanna says he used to be a good kid before he got his powers, after he turned into this." Raven says having heard it from Bruce. "Star?" Raven asks noticing the alien princess sitting with her hand in the air like she was in school.

"A question, will the team not need a member skilled in the magic?"

"Na, a team needs a good leader and a few people who are good to follow the orders given, we can't expect to cover everything with this team." Cyborg counters, getting a nod from Raven in agreement, the League had started out the same way after all.

"So let's vote on him, make three piles in case we draw." Beastboy suggest. "So who wants him in?"

Five hours later they emerge from the room with a possible team, the other Titans had been surprised to find Tim's file in the pile but Raven had assured them that it was with Batman's approval that they consider him. Also much to their surprise was the ones who had been discarded by the League, most of them part of Donna's break away squad, Kid Flash included, while she herself had been judged acceptable.

Raven and the others had a semblance of pride when they look over the sheet of names; Robin, Cassandra Sandsmark, Superboy, Kid Flash, Miss Martian, Ravager, the Blue Beetle and Static.

They had agreed on this large team because of the potential of the chosen, mainly the protégé's of the founders but also allowing a few choices that seemed to have been denied because of the possibility of infiltration and simple inexperience.

Amongst the discarded from both teams are; Kid Devil, Zachary Zatara and Supergirl. Supergirl was discarded by the League because of her attitude, that seemed to lean too much on the goodwill of her cousin and Superboy got the spot on the Titan team because he needed the experience more than her, while she will continue as she has with the League. Zachary was binned due to his attitude, lack of team spirit and the possibility of him being a danger. Kid Devil went the same way, due to the problems with the deal he made with Neron, which they read that it was he would be claimed in his twenties by Neron, body and soul and that he seemed to treat everything like a game.

They also agreed about the structure of the new team, while it will govern itself during the weekdays with the manpower that could live on site, the four of the older Titans would stop by during the weekends for check up's and guidance if needed when the early phase was over. They spent some time arguing about where to base the team. Jump City was an obvious choice, but Cyborg pointed out that the city would have expectations for a new team, that had yet to prove it was capable of being in the same room with itself. Turning over several locations around the world before they settle on San Francisco, due to its lack of actual superheroes there and a rise in metahuman criminals in the city. New York was also considered heavily, but was ultimately discarded due to the presence of the League's predecessor The Justice Society in the city; the Society being a collection of aging but very capable heroes who both Wildcat, Mid-Night, Jay Garrick and Dr. Fate were members at some point.

Raven is about to head back to Gotham with the list while the others retire for food and rest before Cyborg pulls her into a vacant room, blocking the door with his body, crossing his arms over his chest and stares at her, while she looks at him for a few seconds before sighing.

"It was you he almost killed, wasn't it?" Victor says flatly.

"It is unimportant who it was." Raven shrugs.

"Rae, I can tell, my scanners say that you rapidly lost a lot of weight within the last two weeks and that you are only just recovering. Please tell me so I know how to react if Rob suddenly asks if he can crash on my couch." He pleads, waving his arms around while looking hurt.

"Vic, I shouldn't, it was an accident." Raven says.

"Rae, please, at least tell me why it was so bad you severed the link you guys had. Rob wouldn't shut up about it back when we met up after the Tower was blown up, how it made him feel special to share something like that with you."

"I…ok." Raven sighs before sitting down at the table, depositing the files she was carrying on the table. "But don't tell the others about this." She says getting a nod out of him as he sits down next to her. "You know some of the stuff I am training in is very much so I have an idea of what to do if they happen in the field. Well one of them is how to escape in case I am caught. To simulate reality, those tests are sometimes made without you knowing about it before you wake up in it. The weekend before last week, Batman decided to take Tim and Alfred to England to watch Formula One racing, leaving me and Richard to defend Gotham and, as I learned afterwards, to figure ourselves and our relationship out in peace. Nightwing made other plans and decided to discard the otherwise planned weekend, instead he chose to have me drugged, tied up and stuffed in a dark cell where I wasn't allowed sleep or a chance of actual escape while the cell slowly had fear toxin pumped into it. Let me finish." She says as she sees him about to explode. "The cell I was put in was fitted with power dampeners, leaving me with nothing, which was his point. He wanted to tell me that I was no stronger than the team and only with its help was I going to get out. Nightwing, at some point, went out to follow a lead on some petty drug dealer, he was drugged himself continuously before being found by Batman, when he got back, lying in a trash heap. By then I had been in there for three days." Raven says as she looks into her hands lying on the table, she can feel Victor is beside's himself with anger at this, but he is settling with bending the steel table out of shape with his fingers.

"I'd kill him if he was here now." He says through grinding teeth while Raven sniffs on the verge of tears by having to retell it. "Look, if you want to, I can talk to the others and make him unwanted wherever he should show his face."

"Don't, it will divide people over the matter, some will even side with him." Raven sighs. "I don't want to fight him or anyone else." Cyborg nods at this, thought it disappoints him. "Please don't tell anyone."

He sighs before embracing her. "Ok, but if he shows up near you, I am going to come running at the slightest peep."

"Thank you." Raven whispers as she returns the embrace. "But don't tell anyone."

"Don't worry, I won't. You better get back to tall dark and spooky." He says as he lets her go.

"Where are you going?" Batman asks as Raven in a new suit passes behind him in the cave while he is seated at the computer, on her way down the stairs.

"Training, as per the rules you laid down, I couldn't get out, now I have to try again." She replies but keeps walking.

"Raven, you can't." Batman says as he gets up and follows her. "I had Fate, Zatanna and Mr. Miracle look it over several times when it was built, there is no way you can get out of it." This has her stop at the top of the next flight of stairs to turn around and look at him. "It's not doubt in abilities, it's a fact."

"Then I will master the emotions that may have attracted themselves to it." Raven says before turning to continue, Batman smirks slightly before heading back up. He keeps an eye on her as she walks down the cell corridor, stopping at the one she was in to look inside of it for a few seconds before entering, sitting herself down on the ground in the center with the chains hanging around her.

"I can control the cell from up here." He says into a microphone, startling her with his voice.

"You can hear me?" Raven asks looking into the camera in the corner at the ceiling.

"I can." He says.

"Ok, I will try and meditate." Raven says as she rests her hands on her knees. "Please turn off the light and close the door."

"Let me know when you want out." Bruce replies before the door rolls shut and the lights go out, getting a little jump out of her before she settles herself.

Batman works for three hours while Raven meditates peacefully in the cell, when dinner is about to be served, Batman heads down to let her out, finding her a little irritable at the intrusion.

"There's still some stuff about it." She says as she gets to her feet.

"You walk back in by your own free will, it's a start." Bruce says guessing she would request to have the entire scenario recreated later on.

"It is." She agrees. "Dinner time?"

"Yes, also Diana has requested to have you available for a trip to Themyscira, the Feast of Five is due in two weeks time."

"A holiday?" Raven asks.

"Yes, to honor the Gods who created the Amazons." Batman says as they head out of the cell block.

"Then I go."

**Aftermath:**

Raven returns after the Feast with a few new experiences to speak of, how to hunt by spear and bow, having had the good fortune of bringing down a young boar in honor of Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt. How a large supply of wheat was burned in honor of Demeter and how she got drunk during the feast for the remaining three goddesses; Aphrodite, Athena and Hestia. She insisted that everyone had to drink, and being a normal non-drinker had left her vulnerable to the power of Themyscira's wine. One bottle had been found in her bags along with a note that said, she would need it to build up her fortitude for next year's celebration, but that she was quite amusing when she couldn't walk straight. Bruce made off with a sample for testing, finding it to be at least three times stronger than any wine he had ever seen before. Alfred had taken a whiff of it before coughing, claiming that the wine would be better served as an interesting selection after the main course, preferably in very small glasses. The bottle went into the wine cellar where it would rest with a number of very expensive brands, as Bruce said it was afterall extremely rare. Raven doesn't mention it, but Diana tried to corner her once again while both were sober, this time succeeding in her efforts.

Three months after returning from Themyscira, with much training have been completed and a few League missions undertaken in between; Raven, Starfire, Cyborg and Changeling, as Garfield wanted to be known as from now on due to his age, are proud to open the doors of the new Titans Tower in San Francisco to its new occupants. Raven receives a bit of a surprise to hear that the other three would stay permanently, citing their own need to stay on the ground and retrain themselves and make sure the new group didn't end in a massive brawl. Which seemed to be very likely between Cassandra and Ravager who seemed to take an immediate dislike to one another.

Time passes for them all, with slight changes to the new team of Titans, with Ravager leaving, Kid Devil joining, Starfire and Garfield leaving to join the Doom Patrol and Zatara joining briefly before leaving again.

Luthor awoke after spending a year in a coma like state with no memory of anything after his disappearance with Darkseid, J'onn did a throughout search, and Raven double checked to be sure, but it proved to be correct. To say Luthor was furious was an understatement, claiming he was a hero to be celebrated not incarcerated for his actions against Darkseid, that is when Raven drops a large pile of newspapers in his cell. The most soul shattering for the man was the one on top with the headline; LexCorp sold to Wayne Enterprises. After searching him as well, Fate and the returned Zatanna agreed with Raven that the Spectre had taken his vengeance, robbing a man with a photographic memory of years of his life.

Doomsday proved to be an embarrassing affair for Waller when the gray colossus was one day found missing without a trace, something the League knew they would mourn the day he was found again, if that was not bad enough for the woman, Bane decided to leave as well at some point without her knowledge.

Where Nightwing went, no one knew, only that Batman knew he was alive due to strange random acts of heroics around the globe and that he was monitoring his bank account. J'onn offered to scan the planet for him, but was told not to risk himself for someone who wasn't in need of being found.

* * *

**Authors Notes: **Nightwing on the run. A new team of Titans. And a new city for Raven to help defend, but with a broken heart.

Will Nightwing return on his own? Will the others go look for him? And what kind of people would want to see Raven dead or gone? Keep your eyes peeled, there is a another book coming; more surprises, more Amazons, more Nazies, more crazies, a city brought to it's knees and Emptiness Shaped Like God.

Keep a lookout for; Raven Rising: Two Years Later


End file.
